Former Lakers Star Lonzo Ball Reportedly Being Shopped by Bulls

Ricardo Sandoval | Dec 16, 2024

Nov 15, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) in the second half at Staples Center. The Bulls defeated the Lakers 121-103. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Los Angeles Lakers lottery pick Lonzo Ball is reportedly in the trading block. 

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls are expected to shop Ball aggressively. 

"A source indicated that the goal for the team is still to continue aggressively shopping Ball, Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine, as well as any other name that makes sense. That was the focus going into the 2024-25 campaign and it remains the focus even with some solid moments of basketball being played." 

Ball has played in his first handful of games for the first time since the 2021-22 season, but he is having difficulty transitioning back to the court. 

Ball has overcome so much in his career injury-wise, but the hope is that he can find himself, as age is still on his side. Nonetheless, he has all the tools to be a great depth piece on a championship-level team.

Ball is making $21.3 million this season and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He exercised his player option at the end of last season. Ball has undergone three surgeries on his left knee, the most recent being a cartilage transplant in 2023. 

The 27-year-old originally signed a four-year, $80 million deal as part of a sign-and-trade with New Orleans in the summer of 2021. After a fantastic start with the Bulls leading the Eastern Conference in 2021-22, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals before a knee injury 35 games into the season. 

Since then, Ball has struggled to stay on the court, although he has shown flashes of his old self. 

Prior to his injuries, Ball was a young and exciting prospect who the Lakers selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

In Ball's two seasons as a Laker, he averaged 10.0 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in 99 games with 95 starts. The former UCLA Bruin was supposed to be a game-changer; instead, injuries have hurt him, and he has never reached the heights many thought he would in the NBA. 

The Bulls need to start all over, and the Lakers will be a team to keep an eye out for Ball's situation in Chicago. 

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