Top options for the Chicago Bulls if Lonzo Ball is no longer available: Kyle Lowry
Potentially the most realistic option for the Bulls among unrestricted free agents that are also veteran point guards this offseason is the Toronto Raptors six-time All-Star and 35-year-old Kyle Lowry. While it does feel like there are more viable landing spots for Lowry on the surface than the Bulls, this fit still makes sense for both parties.
The Bulls could put Lowry in a better position to contend in the playoffs right away again than the Raptors could given their current roster. A top trio that features star shooting guard Zach LaVine, center Nikola Vucevic, and Lowry would be very potent. It might not be the best trio in the Eastern Conference right away, but it could at least put the Bulls among the four or five best teams.
A shorter-term deal with Lowry would be affordable and flexible for the Bulls. It could also give the front office time to find who the actual point guard of the future will be. By no means would someone like Lowry be the long-term solution for the Bulls. But he could help elevate this starting unit in the near term.
Lowry will definitely be one of the more high-profile free agent point guards. And it’s very unlikely that he will return to the Raptors next season.
Expect teams like the Sixers, Miami Heat, Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers, to make big plays for Lowry. But if there’s other point guards that some of the top contenders find ahead of Lowry (which is a viable scenario given the rumblings in the trade market of late), he could fall as a top target for the Bulls.