The latest Chicago Bulls news for Oct. 5, including a potentially miraculous comeback by Lonzo Ball, a controversial free agent signing and Zach LaVine saying and doing all the right things in training camp.
Bulls, Lonzo Ball preparing for a historic return to the court
Lonzo Ball hasn't played in an NBA game since January of 2021. He tore a meniscus that ended that season early and has since had two more surgeries on his knee.
He hasn't played a professional basketball game in two and a half calendar years.
But the reports from Bulls media day and training camp are all positive, and it appears Ball could finally return this season. He may be ready to play on opening night.
He won't be the same athlete he was before the injury, but he's still only 26 years old and can tailor his game to become more of a playmaker and shooter.
Chicago also has Coby White, Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu and Zach LaVine ready to play backcourt minutes, so Ball won't be counted on to play 40 a night.
His high-level defense will take a hit, but he shot 38.7 percent from three on more than seven attempts per game in 153 contests across three seasons before he was injured. He also averages 6.2 assists for his career.
His ability to shoot and run an offense won't be hampered by a dip in athleticism, and his age still puts him on the Bulls' potentially rebuilding timeline.
Chicago signs free agent point guard Josh Primo
Josh Primo was the 12th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He's only 21 years old. The fact that he was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs makes him seem even more enticing as a prospect.
However, Primo was out of the league last season and only played two games in 2022-23 after a league investigation found that he exposed himself to multiple women.
Primo said he's undergone mental health treatment since the NBA suspended him as a result of that investigation.
The Bulls signed and released Primo, which means he's either fighting for a two-way contract or will spend the year in the G League with the Windy City Bulls.
It's a low-risk signing for Chicago that has stirred up some controversy, but it makes sense from a roster construction perspective.
Is Zach LaVine ready to play a smaller role in a new-look backcourt?
Zach LaVine is healthy and, barring any training camp setbacks will likely be in the starting lineup against the New Orleans Pelicans on opening night.
Of all the questions surrounding LaVine this offseason - mainly whether or not the Bulls can find a trade partner for the 29-year-old - one of the more under-the-radar ones was his willingness to play a lesser role on a team that's rebuilding its backcourt with White and the addition of Giddey.
By all accounts, though, it appears LaVine is ready to do what's asked of him.
Before the start of training camp, the two-time All-Star said he's ready to play "whatever role they put me in," per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.
LaVine has said and done all the right things and genuinely seems excited to be playing again after missing most of last season due to injury.
If LaVine can find a way to mesh his scoring talents with two other ball-dominant guards in Giddey and White, it would place an entirely new ceiling on this Bulls team.