Lonzo Ball trade with the Chicago Bulls
This rumor seems to be picking up steam in the wake of the lottery. The Los Angeles Lakers found themselves as winners of the night, moving from 11th overall all the way to fourth overall.
Gaining the fourth selection gives the Lakers more power to grab Anthony Davis. Dating back to the trade deadline, when the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans discussed a Davis swap, it became known that the important trade chip, Lonzo Ball would want to be redirected to another team. Mentioned as one of the preferred landing spots of the talented, young point guard? The Chicago Bulls.
Last season, the Lakers hoped Ball took greater strides in his sophomore campaign. Appearing in just 47 games, he averaged 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, shooting 40.6 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from three. Ball’s average stats for a starter are clipped even further when factoring in his 2.2 turnovers per game, 41.7 percent mark from the free-throw line, and an offensive rating of 100.
However, Ball is a daunting defender. He posted a 109 defensive rating last season, plus a robust 1.5 steals per game, giving Luke Walton’s Lakers a top-notch defender on guards. This is an area that the Bulls could really use help in, furthering Lonzo’s fit with the team.
After taking a slight step back from his rookie season, the Bulls shouldn’t have to overpay on Ball’s potential. Coming into the NBA in the same draft as Markkanen, people slated Ball as a future All-Star.