Lonzo Ball’s NBA Options Narrow as Teams Back Away Over Medical Records
lonzo ball was waived by the Utah Jazz after being traded and now remains unsigned, with multiple organizations stepping away amid concerns tied to his medical records. The shift leaves him confronting a shrinking window to latch onto an NBA roster ahead of playoff eligibility deadlines and raises the prospect of continuing his career overseas.
Lonzo Ball’s medical records and dwindling NBA interest
League personnel have gathered Ball’s medical information since he was traded and waived, and public commentary from Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints states that many within the league are worried he may not play again because of those records. Ball suited up in 35 games this season before the transaction that sent him to Utah and then produced the waiver. That limited availability follows a nine-season career that has encompassed 322 games played and nearly 400 missed eligible contests, including two full seasons lost to a knee injury.
The Golden State Warriors were among the teams that expressed interest in Ball, and the Denver organization also showed attention, but both organizations did not finalize a deal, with concerns focused on his knee health. The Warriors currently carry an open roster spot but sit beyond the first apron and therefore cannot sign a player making more than $14. 1 million this season, a salary constraint that narrows their immediate options. A separate procedural timeline also complicates potential moves: a player must be bought out or released by March 1 to be playoff-eligible with a new team.
Those concrete factors—medical red flags, roster and salary limitations, and the playoff eligibility cutoff—explain why interest in Ball dissipated so quickly after his waiver. What makes this notable is that teams which initially examined his file and even contacted him stepped back once internal medical reviews raised questions about long-term availability.
NBL as a plausible alternative and career calculus
With NBA options receding, the National Basketball League in Australia has emerged within coverage as a realistic destination should Ball choose to continue playing. The NBL season structure offers a reduced game load—33 games across roughly 165 days—compared with the NBA’s 82-game regular season spread over about eight months. For a player whose availability has been repeatedly interrupted by injury, the lighter schedule and extended recovery windows present a measurable advantage.
Ball is 28 years old and remains financially secure, with career earnings cited in coverage at more than USD $120 million, meaning any move would be driven by a desire to play rather than financial necessity. Australian clubs have precedent for recruiting high-profile point guards from the United States, and the Illawarra and Perth clubs have been mentioned as teams in need of a point guard-level presence.
If Ball remains unsigned for the rest of the NBA season, the likely effect is a pivot toward overseas opportunities where roster timing and medical expectations differ. Such a move would offer him consistent minutes on a schedule that could better accommodate ongoing strength and rehabilitation work while providing a platform to demonstrate sustained health and on-court impact.
For now, the immediate facts are clear: Ball was waived by the Jazz after a trade, played 35 games this season, and has been the subject of league medical review that has cooled interest from multiple teams. His next step will hinge on whether an NBA club is prepared to assume the medical risk before roster and playoff deadlines, or whether Ball elects to pursue the less demanding schedule of an overseas league to rebuild his availability and form.
