The report says the Chicago Bulls should trade Lonzo Ball

At this point, it’s hard to tell what the future holds for point guard Lonzo Ball if and when he returns to the NBA. One of the most electrifying two-way guards during his time in the league, Ball elevated the Chicago Bulls to new heights with his exciting play during the first 35 games of the 2021-2022 season.

Alas, it was not meant to be, as Ball went down with a meniscus tear in January 2022 and hasn’t been seen on the court ever since. While he remains optimistic about a return, a report by Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report suggests the Bulls may be better off trading away the oft-injured guard to recoup their losses.

Huge question mark

Ball appeared during the Bulls’ media day last week and gave an update regarding his recovery and rehabilitation, saying he’s taking it day by day with his rehab. It’s safe to say that at this point, nobody really knows what to make of this and if the cartilage transplant procedure he had earlier this year resolved his knee issues.

“As sad as it is to acknowledge, he's mostly a question mark at this point, which is hard on the Chicago Bulls as well. He's their third-highest paid player and has a $21.4 million player option for 2024-25. If he returns to 85-90 percent of his healthy self for that campaign, great. But the Bulls can't bank on that,” Bailey wrote.

"Not being out there the last two years, it just feels like part of my life is gone." – Lonzo Ball pic.twitter.com/xF4nS6av72
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) October 2, 2023

Assess the market

The Bulls have doubled down on their “Big 3” of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic, eager to see how far their talented trio can take them with another season under their belt. That said, the Bulls’ front office must do its due diligence and assess the market for a huge question mark like Lonzo Ball.

“Instead, if the trio of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic has the Bulls in the playoff hunt, they probably need to see what they can get for Ball's contract as salary filler,” Bailey added.

“A team more concerned with pingpong balls in the lottery than wins in the standings may be willing to send a difference-maker to the Bulls for Ball and a draft asset.”

Lonzo Ball’s future with the #Bulls is ‘unsure’ per ESPN’s @JamalCollier.

It’s possible the Bulls may look to move on from him to retool around their current core. pic.twitter.com/TDPEHkP9Wj
— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) October 6, 2023