Lonzo Ball headed to Chicago Bulls in sign-and-trade deal

For the third time in less than a week, a Bruin point guard is on the move.

Lonzo Ball has been dealt to the Chicago Bulls as part of a sign-and-trade agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans, his agent Rich Paul confirmed Monday afternoon. As a part of the deal, Ball will get a four-year, $85 million contract, while the Pelicans will take back wing Tomas Satoransky, guard Garrett Temple and a future second-round pick, according to The Athletic's Sham Charania.

The Bulls will be Ball's third team in his five-year pro career after being drafted No. 3 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Ball is averaging 11.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game for his career, starting in 204 of the 217 games he's appeared in. This season with the Pelicans, Ball put up career bests with 14.6 points per game, 41.4% shooting from the field, 37.8% shooting from deep, 78.1% shooting from the free throw line, a 15.2 player efficiency rating and 3.2 win shares.

In his one year of college hoops, Ball averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds a night en route to a consensus All-American nod and a Sweet 16 appearance for the Bruins.

Ball will now join fellow UCLA men's basketball alumnus Zach LaVine in Chicago. The two did not overlap in Westwood, so this will be their first chance to play side-by-side in the same uniform.

ZO2 to Chicago!

Lonzo Ball is landing on a four-year, $85 million contract with the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade agreement, his agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/ju98sGQIMs
— ESPN (@espn) August 2, 2021

How long LaVine stays with Ball in the Windy City is still up in the air though, since he is due for an extension this summer and recently told the media the one thing he requires from a new contract is "respect."

Most of the rest of the Bulls' roster is made up of players with non-guaranteed contracts, outside of All-Star center Nikola Vucevic and recent first round picks Coby White and Patrick Williams.

White is Ball's only real competition for playing time at the point, considering he averaged 15.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game and 54 starts in 2020-2021.

The Ball trade comes just four days after Russell Westbrook and Aaron Holiday were traded on the same night, creating a trifecta of UCLA guards who will be changing destinations this offseason. Former UCLA center Moses Brown was also traded over the weekend, going from the Boston Celtics to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Josh Richardson.

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