Former No. 2 overall pick expected to return for first game in 1,006 days

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is expected to play in the team's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

Ball's return to action would be his first NBA contest since Jan. 14, 2022 — a span of 1,006 days — due to chronic knee issues.

Per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic , the Bulls are hoping that the 26-year-old can play in the team's final two preseason games, which includes the exhibition finale on Friday at home. Chicago begins its regular season on Oct. 23 on the road against one of Ball's former teams, the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ball was a full participant in Bulls training camp, but missed the group's preseason opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers as he dealt with a COVID-19-related illness.

Head coach Billy Donovan said on Monday that he was impressed with the UCLA product's resilience.

When Ball's knee problems first began in January 2022, it was reported that he'd miss six-to-eight weeks .

At the time, the older brother of LiAngelo Ball and former Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball was having his best season, averaging career-highs in steals per game (1.8), minutes per game (34.6), shooting percentage (42.3%) and three-point percentage (42.3%) in 2021-22.

Lonzo also finished his 35-game campaign first on the team in assists (5.1) and second in rebounds per contest (5.4).

Ball was acquired by Chicago in August 2021 in a trade with the Pelicans. He played two years in the Big Easy after his pair of seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers to start his career.