Lonzo Ball’s trade value — which was already limited — just dropped some more.
Ball has torn the meniscus in his left knee, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports. That said, he should be good to go next season.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball has a torn meniscus in his left knee, league sources tell Yahoo. Ball is expected to be ready for training camp next season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2018
That’s not a ton of detail, we don’t know the type of surgery that will follow — can this be repaired, or is part of the meniscus going to have to be removed. Doctors prefer to repair, and that has fewer long-term ramifications — young players such as Ball fully bounce back from that kind of surgery. If some of the meniscus needs to be removed, that could signal more knee issues and maintenance down the line.
Bottom line, this should not be a long-term problem. However, it will give teams that might have considered taking him as a sweetener in a salary-dump trade of Luol Deng some pause.
Ball has been working hard on his game and conditioning this offseason. According to those that have seen him, he is in much better shape, which should help his push-the-pace style of play next season. More comfort with his jumper while being contested is another area of need.
Ball was not scheduled to play for the Lakers in Summer League anyway, this does not impact that.
