This year’s trade deadline marked a major time of change for the Chicago Bulls. The team moved on from Zach LaVine after he spent eight years with the franchise in a three team trade that they swung with the Kings and Spurs. LaVine has rejoined former Bull DeMar DeRozan in Sacramento and Chicago is working with a brand new backcourt compared to a season ago.
The front office dealt LaVine but were unable to find a deal that fit their needs for two-time all star Nikola Vucevic. Not moving on from their big man is symbolic of the Bulls and how things have been run within the organization over the past few years. The roster was not completely torn down at the deadline and Chicago’s eventual draft position could suffer because of that.
One interesting move that was made after the trade deadline was the extension for Lonzo Ball. The former number two overall pick inked a two-year deal to remain in Chicago beyond this season worth a total of $20 million. Ball was initial rumored to be a trade candidate for the Bulls, but that motive changed rather quickly once the deadline passed.
The Chicago Bulls value Lonzo Ball highly
Ball sticking around in the Windy City could mean a couple of different things. According to Jason Patt and John Hollinger, the Bulls chose to keep the floor general despite having a more than fair offer for him on the table at the trade deadline.
According to @johnhollinger, the Bulls had an offer on the table for Lonzo including a first-round pick (no protections specified) and long-term money. Make of that what you will! https://t.co/6EomtATaHJ
— Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) February 12, 2025
Anytime a first round pick is thrown around in trade talks, teams certainly have their ears perked. A player like Ball who is coming off a major injury wasn’t even a thought to bring back a first rounder to Chicago at the beginning of the season, so the franchise must see something in him that shows promise for the future.
Ball has played in 30 games so far this season with the Bulls and is averaging 7.2 points per game while shooting 36.2% from the field. The former UCLA Bruin is known for his playmaking ability to set up opportunities for scorers around him as he is averaging 3.5 assists per game this season and 5.9 per contest in his career.
Lonzo Ball’s role moving forward relies on one major thing
Despite being in the league for seven years, Ball has yet to play his 300th career NBA game due to his lengthy injury history. There is no doubt that he can have a major impact when he is able to stay healthy consistently. Chicago held the top seed in the Eastern Conference during his first season with the organization in the 2021-2022 campaign.
When Ball went down with this grueling knee injury during that season, the team took a dive and finished the year sixth in the conference. Chicago dropped their opening playoff series against the Bucks that season in five games and they haven’t been in a legitimate playoff series since.
With the organization rebuilding, keeping a player of Ball’s caliber around is an interesting choice. While some veterans are needed on the team, some would argue that playing every young guy possible would be way more important if the franchise is looking to enter a full scale rebuild.
The price that the Bulls got Ball at is hard to beat and they know exactly what they are getting from him when he is fully healthy. Any young guards that they bring in moving forward can develop their playmaking abilities under his wing, which is a huge advantage moving forward.
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