UCLA Basketball: Critics Savage Ex-Bruin Lonzo Ball for New Contract Decision

Former All-American UCLA Bruins point guard Lonzo Ball, who enjoyed a solid one-and-done season with the program in 2016-17 before being selected by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft, preemptively picked up his $21.4 million player option for the 2024-25 NBA season with the Chicago Bulls.

The 6-foot-6 guard, a 3-and-D starter when healthy, hasn't played a game since January 2022.

You read that right. 2022.

He has missed the last 2.5 seasons with Chicago, but the team has been shockingly uncreative about figuring out tactical ways to offload his pricey salary in the intervening years, either stupidly or lazily hoping he would be able to rehabilitate his way back into basketball shape. Even now, Bulls team president Arturas Karnisovas could opt to waive and stretch Ball's contract, which would result in the club paying him $7.1 million throughout three seasons to go away.

More importantly for Chicago, it would free up significant room under the NBA's punitive salary cap with which to add players who can actually, you know, play for a team that has missed the playoffs across each of the past two seasons, with Ball riding pine and rehabbing through three knee thus-far unsuccessful surgeries.

Naturally, Ball's decision to take the guaranteed money yielded some not-undue criticism (and savage mockery) from X users professional and amateur.

This man has made over $40mil while barely being with the team.

🫠 https://t.co/zVmkZl56N1
— Just Another Year Chicago: Bulls (@JAYChicagoBulls) May 4, 2024

This is not inaccurate.

21.4 Million dollars to do the same thing we are doing, Watching the game on the couch
— ℬ𝓊𝒾𝓁𝓉𝒹𝒾𝒻𝒻ℯ𝓇ℯ𝓃𝓉 (@pvttvplays) May 4, 2024

Nor is this.

Me and Lonzo will have equal contributions to the Bulls next season and he will make $21.4M more than me
— Moose (@Moose_NBA) May 4, 2024

At least Moose has a sense of humor. There's little evidence Ball does.

Another pricey Bruin-turned-Bull, Zach LaVine, has oft been injured, too, but he's been far more available than has Ball over the duration of his lucrative salary thus far, despite missing most of the 2023-24 season himself. This fan sagely unpacked that grim reality:

I know LaVine catching a lot of shit from Bulls fans but it’s really that Lonzo contract holding them back.
— Poppa Cinco (@cincoj05) May 4, 2024

Mark Karantzoulis, formerly of CHGO Bulls, opined that waiving and stretching would, tactically, be the best route towards helping the Bulls carve out realistic cap room:

Waiving and stretching Lonzo’s contract is an option that is right there, and it’s the easiest path the Bulls have in getting under the tax line.
— Mark K (@mkhoops) May 4, 2024

This sobering take was offered up by another fan:

just let it go bruh it’s over https://t.co/FC3TKtQPaw pic.twitter.com/CVg2Or89Sy
— Malik (@ClampedByTampa) May 4, 2024

Ball's agent, Rich Paul, was jokingly referred to as a thief for so greatly ripping off the Bulls with his client's exorbitant contract:

Rich Paul https://t.co/GmVVy9PxwJ pic.twitter.com/bj7BEKCis6
— Point Gawd Sub0 (@Dave312x) May 4, 2024

One fan joked that he was jealous of Ball's ability to draw such a massive haul for, presumably, not logging a second of game action this coming season:

I'm not mad. I am a bit envious tho.
I played as many minutes for the @chicagobulls this last season as Lonzo did. 🤣
I'll take an option for just $21.4K. 💰 https://t.co/kNfFZFOh8D
— Joseph Duncan (@Joseph_D32) May 5, 2024

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