Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball underwent surgery this offseason on his left knee and won’t be ready for five-on-five scrimmages when training camp starts next week, according to Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet. Lakers head coach Luke Walton said Ball has done one-on-one drills, but the team will not rush the point guard back.
Ball suffered a torn meniscus in his knee. The 20-year-old received a PRP injection after the season ended, but the shot didn’t take care of the pain, so Ball was forced to go under the knife. He had a partial meniscus removal instead of a full repair.
The good news is that Ball didn’t have a total removal of his meniscus. That procedure can lead to knee issues such as arthritis down the line.
Ball played in 52 games during his rookie season and averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of UCLA shot 36.0 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from 3.
The Lakers signed veteran guard Rajon Rondo in free agency this summer, and Ball and Rondo are expected to compete for the starting point guard spot in training camp. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in July that outside of LeBron James, the team’s starting lineup will be an open competition during training camp.
Ball's name came up in trade rumors this summer when the Lakers were trying to acquire All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs. Ball said on an episode of “Ball In The Family” he wasn’t too surprised.
“There’s trade rumors every year,” Ball said. Athletes in general, you’re never really 100 percent safe. Wherever you’re at. Anything can happen, especially in the offseason, so all I can do is just make sure I’m ready to play at the best of my abilities.”
The Spurs had no interest in acquiring Ball, as the organization didn’t want to deal with the circus that Ball brings with him, particularly Ball’s outspoken father, LaVar Ball.
James told Lakers president Magic Johnson he likes Ball’s game and is excited to play with him.
All that said, LeBron did tell the Lakers on Saturday night that he likes Lonzo’s game and is excited to play with him.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2018
The Lakers open training camp next week and open their regular season in Portland on Oct. 18.
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