One player around the NBA landscape that can’t seem to escape the trade rumors over the course of the last two years or so is the New Orleans Pelicans sizable 6-foot-6 point guard, and the former UCLA Bruin, Lonzo Ball. The former Los Angeles Lakers lottery draft pick and two-way point guard is finding more efficiency in his game with the Pelicans over the course of the last two seasons, but that doesn’t appear to be enough for him to find stability in NOLA. Could the Chicago Bulls be a viable option for Ball to land with next?
Speaking of the trade discussions running rampant around Ball right now, a piece from Ricky O’Donnell of SB Nation earlier this week dug into potential landing spots that could make sense for both him and the Pelicans in the near future. And the Bulls were one of the five potential landing spots that this SB Nation piece mentioned for Ball if he hits the block this season.
Here’s more on what this piece from SB Nation had to say on the matter of Ball potentially getting traded to the Bulls.
"The Bulls badly need a point guard. Ball seemingly pairs well with both Zach LaVine and Coby White as a plus defend who prefers to set up teammates rather than score himself.Chicago is facing its own conundrum in restricted free agency with Lauri Markkanen. The Pelicans badly need shooting in the front court. The Bulls might need a future draft pick from New Orleans to entice them (fortunately the Pelicans have plenty), but a swap could be beneficial for all parties involved."
Although it’s difficult to imagine who the Bulls would be willing to send off in a hypothetical trade discussion that gets Ball to Chicago, there’s a lot of pieces that could be in play. Both the Bulls and Pelicans have a lot of draft and player capital to work with if they wanted to make this happen in the near future.
Moreover, the other four potential landing spots that were mentioned in this piece as ones that could work out well for Ball included the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, and Toronto Raptors.
What Ball could bring for the Chicago Bulls
The Bulls would likely welcome a two-way point guard like Ball to the Windy City with open arms. He’s a very good on-ball defender, and could facilitate the offense more effectively and consistently than the likes of second-year point guard Coby White has so far this season.
In 13 games played with the Pelicans so far this season (all of which he’s started in), Ball averaged 11.8 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks. He’s shot 38.8 percent from the field, 30.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 58.3 percent from the free-throw line.
While the shooting percentage from downtown has regressed for Ball so far this season, maybe he can find that more efficient stroke he put on display from three in his inaugural campaign with the Pels.
First-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls currently hold a record of 7-10, after their last game resulted in a sizable loss at home to the Boston Celtics back on the night of Jan. 25. Next up for the Bulls is a meeting at home at the United Center with the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 30.