With LeBron James now in town, Lonzo Ball has a lot to do in order to prove to the Los Angeles Lakers that he is the future of their franchise.

Ball will now be competing against Rajon Rondo, who the Lakers signed recently as well, for the starting point guard spot in the team as well.

In order to compete, Lonzo will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to repair his ailing left knee, according to ESPN.

The injury is to the same left knee that kept him out at the end of the season and around the All-Star break for the Lakers. 

He'd spent much of the offseason analyzing over all options for how to treat the knee, including platelet-rich plasma injection treatment and staying off it for a month after the season ended.

Ball attempted to try and add muscle in the weight room and had returned to basketball activities on the court only briefly last month, but now he will spend some more time on the sidelines following the surgery.

Recovery time

The good news for Lakers fans is that the 20-year-old is expected to be ready to go in time for training camp, since arthroscopic surgery can have a quick recovery time.

Therefore, there is a chance that he should be able to compete with Rondo for the starting point guard job should everything with the surgery go according to plan.

If Lonzo is to keep Rajon away from the point guard spot on the court, he must become more productive when he has the ball in his hands, and hopefully the addition of LeBron to the Lakers will allow him to do just that.

Ball finished last season with the Lakers averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.9 rebounds over 52 games, while Rondo with the New Orleans Pelicans averaged 8.3 points, 8.2 assists, and four rebounds over 65 games.

Whether he is with the team or traded away, Ball is expected to be a key component of the Lakers building towards winning another championship, so having him healthy is vital for their franchise's future.

Further updates about Ball's recovery time are expected to be released after the surgery takes place next week.

CLICK HERE to listen to Episode Two of the new GiveMeSport NBA podcast, featuring New York Times senior writer Marc Stein. Subscribe for all future episodes.