What can Bulls do with Lonzo Ball if he gets a third knee surgery?

Lonzo Ball appears set to get another surgery on his knee, so what are the Bulls options with him as he continues to sit on the sidelines?

Lonzo Ball and the Chicago Bulls appear to be stuck at a crossroads. Ball hasn't played since January of last year as he continues to deal with a mysterious left knee injury, and no matter what he has done, his knee just will not get any better. Ball is now set to undergo a third surgery on his left knee, and it may force the Bulls into a tough decision.

What options do the Bulls have with Lonzo Ball?

It's fair to wonder whether or not Ball will ever take the court again considering the lack of progress he's made in an effort to overcome this injury. If Ball's career is over, is there anything the Bulls could do to move on from Ball? There are a couple of options, but as of right now, they don't seem inherently likely to happen, which means Chicago could be stuck waiting for Ball to try to find his way back to the court.

This would be the last resort and not something I could see happening in the near future. https://t.co/fKAyLvcnx1

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) March 9, 2023

#Bulls' focus remains on getting Lonzo Ball back on the floor and he badly wants to play, but the career-ending injury clause as it relates to the team's options is worth being educated on. pic.twitter.com/zr8b8eHaP8

— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) March 9, 2023

Ball's contract is fully guaranteed, so releasing him isn't really an option either, which means the Bulls are stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. And with Ball intent on working his way back to the court, it doesn't seem like Chicago is going to petition for his salary to be removed from their books due to a career-ending injury. So for the time being, all they can do it wait.

Lonzo Ball's latest surgery adds to depressing injury timeline for the Bulls

Ball initially picked up this injury back on January 14th, and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the season after experiencing continued discomfort in the aftermath of the surgery. After yet another surgery, that pain hasn't subsided for Ball, leading to the third surgery that he appears set to undergo. Maybe this will fix things, but with another lengthy rehab staring him in the face, it looks like the Bulls and Ball are stuck holding out hope that this surgery may be the one that finally fixes things.