Reports suggest the Chicago Bulls will be able to trade Nikola Vucevic before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. Whether they will or not is a different story, but it seems to be at least a realistic possibility.
Finding a deal for Zach LaVine seems less likely. LaVine's massive contract—$43 million this season, $46 million next season and a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27—coupled with the league's new salary apron rules make finding a trade that makes sense financially a difficult proposition, at best.
But maybe neither of Chicago's newsiest trade assets will be the first to go.
Lakers interested in Lonzo Ball, Bulls could land second-round picks
Lonzo Ball was selected second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft. He played two seasons in LA before being sent to New Orleans in the trade that netted the Lakers Anthony Davis.
He arrived in Chicago before the 2021-22 season but only played in 35 games before suffering a knee injury that would necessitate three surgeries and keep Ball off the court for two and a half years.
He was one of the year's best stories during the early portion of this season, but that story has turned into a legitimately productive player. The 26-year-old has played in 23 games and is averaging more than 20 minutes a night for the Bulls with averages of 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals.
Ball will never be the player he was four seasons ago, but he's become an important cog in Chicago's machine on both ends of the floor. His high IQ and connectivity on offense have helped the Bulls become the fifth-best scoring team in the league. He's just as intelligent defensively, knowing when to step into passing lanes and use his long arms to create turnovers.
Now that he's relatively healthy and productive and is on a $21.4 million expiring contract, Ball's name is beginning to creep into trade rumors. In fact, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic (h/t Bleacher Report), his former team could be interested in a reunion.
Considering the package the Bulls could potentially get in return, they should be interested in the same reunion.
""I think Lonzo is someone that's going to be on the [Lakers] radar, and I think depending on the price if you could get him for a second or two seconds, I think that's an interesting swing.""Jovan Buha, The Athletic
On its face, a trade sending Ball to the Lakers for a pair of second-round picks seems underwhelming for the Bulls. But when considering the alternative is letting Ball help the team win games and then walk for nothing, grabbing a pair of picks doesn't seem like a bad bit of business.
But only time will tell what moves, if any, the Bulls front office decides to make.