Lonzo Ball's stint with the Chicago Bulls has been a roller coaster from an individual and team standpoint. In his first campaign with the team, they were the number one seed in the Eastern Conference at the turn of the calendar. Ball suffered a torn meniscus, among other complications, during the recovery process, which ultimately held him off the court for over 1,000 days. Very seldom has an NBA player returned to the court after undergoing the extent of injuries Ball did, and he was counted out by many, including most famously Stephen A. Smith. Nonetheless, he returned at the tip-off of the 2024-25 season primed for a miracle comeback. Although his stats haven't returned to where they were before his catastrophic injuries, it's still evident that he can play professionally and contribute to winning games. Set to be a free agent this summer for the first time in four years, Chicago has been openly dangling him in trade talks for the last six months. What have they decided to do with Ball, and how does this affect the franchise's future?
Surprise Extension For Lonzo Ball
To the shock of many, the Chicago Bulls have inked Lonzo Ball to a two-year, $20 million extension. This will keep him in town beyond this year's trade deadline, where he was previously set to represent a second-round pick if any suitors were seeking a bench point guard for that price. He will be 28 years old before next year's start, making this a head-scratching move for a franchise headed for a full rebuild. Shipping Zach LaVine was a direct step toward rebuilding from scratch, especially with reports that Coby White or Nikola Vucevic would be sold off to the highest bidders leaguewide. Regardless, Ball will stay in Chicago and help aid the youth movement, bridging the gap between the current mediocrity and the next edition of the Bulls franchise.
The Chicago Bulls and Lonzo Ball have agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
What's the best justification for inking an aging, injured point guard to a contract extension while simultaneously admitting defeat for the next several years? Could this be a ploy to draw his brother, LaMelo Ball, to the Windy City? Both brothers have expressed interest in playing alongside one another.
Pulling Vucevic And Ball From Trades
Arturas Karnisovas has made a fool of himself during this year's trade deadline period. His tenure with the Bulls has been riddled with questionable decisions, puzzling draft choices with minimal development, aggressive contract extensions for undeserving roster pieces, and a lack of action toward a definitive direction, chasing a title or embarking on a rebuild. His most recent blunders have been taking down Vucevic and Ball from trade talks before tomorrow's deadline. Sending off LaVine and securing their own draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft was the first step toward starting over. Trading away Vucevic and Ball, both aging assets on expiring contracts, would have been the best action to follow. Instead, Karnisovas expects both players to remain with the club for the remainder of the season, which could cost the Bulls multiple draft selections in exchange for a handful of meaningless wins as the regular season concludes.
As for latest Bulls trade chatter, everything is fluid but the optimism for more moves that surfaced Monday dried up some on Tuesday. Nikola Vucevic is now prepared to be here past deadline as Warriors have shifted attention to bigger targets, including Kevin Durant.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 5, 2025
What boneheaded move will Arturas Karnisovas make next, and will it be prior to tomorrow's trade deadline?
