Lonzo Ball
Any fan of basketball should be cheering for Lonzo Ball. He’s been through a ton of injuries, and is a fun player to watch when he’s healthy, so I hope he’s back in there, shows he can still play, and has a long career.
But even if he does, it won’t likely help the Chicago Bulls.
Even if Lonzo were to come back healthy and play well, his $20 million expiring contract won’t be easy to move. There’s not a team in the NBA with the cap space to absorb it outright without sending back money, so the first step would be finding a team with $20 million worth of expiring contracts.
And what are they going to give up for Ball? The best-case scenario is probably a second-round pick given his sketchy status and that’s if he is healthy at the trade deadline, which wouldn’t be a smart bet given his history.
There is a chance Lonzo plays well and rewards the Bulls’ patience by signing a minimum team-friendly deal in the offseason, but why would he? He’ll be an unrestricted free agent and will have his choice of teams if he wants to sign a lowball deal.
Why would he choose the rebuilding Bulls who just traded for their point guard of the future? Ball could go play with LeBron back home in LA if he wants to sign a one-year minimum deal with someone.
If Ball plays well this season, it will only hamper the Bulls’ efforts to keep their pick and it’s likely he ends up walking for little or nothing anyway. There aren’t many ways the Bulls can win when it comes to Lonzo Ball.