NEWSLETTER
The first major trade rumor for the Chicago Bulls this season came at the beginning of February. The organization started to become increasingly connected to the New Orleans Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball, with the Action Network’s Matt Moore even calling Chicago the “most likely landing spot” for the point guard.
The last major piece of the story came when The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that, while the Bulls were interested, the two sides had not engaged in any dialogue. Still, at the time, we were well over a month out from the deadline, so it felt like there was bound to be another update sometime in the near future.
Well … we are now less than a week out from the big day, and the ties between the Bulls and Ball have not tightened even a little. If anything, they have loosened thanks to the improved play we’ve seen from Ball over the last month.
When the rumors first surfaced, Ball was averaging a disappointing 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game (career-lows in the assist and rebounding category). He wasn’t taking the leap many thought they would see from him this season, which was especially surprising when we considered the solid offensive weapons he had around him. However, in the middle of February, things took a turn. Since February 19th, he’s averaged 15.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game. His rebounding numbers still may be way down, but that can also be attributed to having beasts like Zion Williamson and Steven Adams stationed in the frontcourt. He also shot 40.0 percent from behind the arc over that stretch, improving his season average to 38.5 percent and eliminating the concerns that transpired after he began the season shooting just 32.0 percent over his first 15 games.
If the Pelicans do not view Ball as part of their long-term plans, it makes total sense for them to still seek a trade by March 25th. The 23-year-old is headed toward restricted free agency this offseason, so either they’re going to have to match a potentially big contract to keep him around or just let him walk. Although, who is to say his improved play has not made the front office rethink his role? The Pelicans could very well be more comfortable with paying him this offseason now that things have trended up, and that could be why we’ve seen Bulls rumors come to a halt.
I mean, it’s not like the Bulls need for a point guard nor their desire to win has disappeared. Coby White has been moved back to the bench in favor of the more pass-happy Tomas Satoransky, and executives around the league have shared that they believe this team is invested in a postseason berth. So if the Bulls were interested in Ball, they would likely not be the team to shy away from any possible correspondence.
Anyway, the lack of information does not mean Ball isn’t still available or a dialogue between the two teams can not occur. We all know things really ramp-up in the final few days, and a report from the New York Times’ Marc Stein on Friday could suggest the Pelicans are open to striking a deal. The NBA Insider tweeted out that the Los Angeles Clippers were “exploring trade routes” to add the point guard.
The Clippers, with a well-chronicled need for a playmaking upgrade, are exploring trade routes to acquiring New Orleans' Lonzo Ball before next Thursday's NBA trade deadline, league sources say.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 19, 2021
This doesn’t necessarily mean the Pelicans are reciprocating the interest, but it also doesn’t rule it out. And if they are, in fact, having conversations with Los Angeles, they could end up doing the same with Chicago over the next week. If I were them, I’d likely be more interested in the talent or draft compensation the Bulls have to offer anyway.
