Bulls Could Still Trade Former UCLA Star During Offseason

The Chicago Bulls could still move former UCLA star Lonzo Ball during the offseason in spite of not doing so at the NBA trade deadline.

Feb 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) looks on in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls not only decided to hold onto Lonzo Ball before the NBA trade deadline, but they handed him a two-year, $20-million contract extension.

But does this mean that Ball is bound to remain with the Bulls for the next couple of seasons?

Not necessarily.

Think of it this way: the former UCLA star was slated to hit free agency this coming offseason, so Chicago would have lost him for nothing if it didn't extend him. His trade value at the deadline was also minimal due to the fact that he was an impending free agent.

Yes, the Bulls technically extended Ball before the deadline expired, but it didn't exactly leave other teams a whole lot of time to negotiate with Chicago about a potential trade.

So now, the Bulls can kick the can further down the road to the summer, where they would already have the 27-year-old locked up and would likely be able to field better trade offers as a result.

Ball is an interesting case, to say the least.

He missed two whole seasons due to persistent knee injuries, finally returning to the floor this year. Thus far in 2024-25, Ball is averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game on 36.2/34.0/85.7 shooting splits.

Obviously, the percentages could use a significant uptick, but it's important to keep in mind that Ball is still getting his legs underneath him after being sidelined for such a long period of time.

Plus, the UCLA product brings a lot of other attributes to the table. He is a willing facilitator, a terrific passer and a versatile defender capable of guarding multiple positions.

That is significantly valuable to any contending team, so you can bet that Ball will be attracting some trade suitors during the offseason.

Ball will probably never live up to his initial expectations when he was selected with the second overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. However, there is no reason why he can't at least become a regular contributor on a playoff ballclub.

We'll see what becomes of the Bruins legend down the line.

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