Projecting where Lonzo Ball fits into Bulls rotation after massive injury update

Lonzo Ball recently revealed he is cleared to play 5-on-5 basketball for the Chicago Bulls next month. Ball has been a member of the Bulls for the last three seasons but has only managed to play a total of 35 games for them.

He suffered a foot injury back in the 2021-22 season that has kept him sideline for the last two and a half seasons. When the former second pick went out with the injury, the Bulls were the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. They have been a Play-In team ever since.

"I'm still looking forward to playing the first game. My first real test will be this August when I play 5-on-5 for the first time," Ball said on the WAE Show.

Now that he may be making his return this season, the Bulls have some questions to answer. They have a backcourt consisting of two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, the most improved runner-up in Coby White, newly-acquired Josh Giddey, their backup point guard in Ayo Dosunmu and now Lonzo Ball. Where does Lonzo fit in all this?

Projecting Lonzo Ball's role for the Bulls

When Ball was healthy, he was the starting point guard for the Bulls. He averaged 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.8 steals on .423/.423/.750 shooting splits. His playstyle is a tall playmaking, 3-and-D guard, and he has shown to be very good at it.

The only problem is that the Bulls traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey for the sole purpose of replacing Ball. Both Giddey and Lonzo have very similar playstyles except Lonzo is a better shooter and defender. With Coby White improving, he has earned himself the starting job.

The Bulls will most likely have Giddey, Coby White, and Zach LaVine in the starting lineup. Since Josh Giddey is 6-foot-8, having three backcourt players will not cause the Bulls to lack size on the court.

That means Ball is going to be the Bulls backup point guard if he is cleared to play because of his injury history. The most favorable option for the Bulls is to trade him but since he hasn't played in two years, his stock is at an all-time low. If he's healthy, he'll be the backup to help him get back to his old form and eventually take back the starting role or be traded.