NEWSLETTER
Two days ago, we asked whether or not the rumors connecting the Chicago Bulls to Lonzo Ball were a thing of the past. Today, we got our answer.
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Chicago Bulls interest in the New Orleans Pelicans point guard is alive and well. In fact, O’Connor reports that Arturas Karnisovas has already made an offer.
There’s skepticism around the league that the Pelicans will move Lonzo Ball ahead of the deadline, but that won’t stop teams from trying. League sources say the Bulls and Hawks are both in pursuit. Chicago has offered Tomas Satoransky and second-round picks, but New Orleans is asking for at least one good first-round pick or a young player. Talks with Atlanta have revolved around Cam Reddish.
The Bulls are apparently willing to part ways with Tomas Satornasky and multiple second-round picks for Ball’s immediate assistance at the lead guard position. This offer falls in line with what we expected to see when the rumors first surfaced in February. With Ball headed toward restricted free agency this summer (which will give the Bulls a chance to present an offer sheet), it did not make a ton of sense for Chicago to throw in a young talent or significant draft compensation. Not to mention, at the time, it did feel like the Pelicans were not going to receive a drastically better offer. Ball had been underperforming, and the team could have wanted a more reliable veteran as they pushed for the playoffs.
The problem for the Bulls now is that Ball has improved. His assist numbers have spiked way up since mid-February, and his 3-point shooting is back to the promising level we saw one season ago. With that being the case, the Pelicans’ eagerness to take calls on the 23-year-old has likely gone down … while their asking price in a return has shot way up.
Regardless, if what O’Connor is reporting is accurate, this tells us the Bulls are in the game. The team is clearly looking for an upgrade at the point guard position, and they could look to solve that weakness over the next couple of days. Also, if they already made one offer for Ball – which was clearly turned down for now – who is to say they are not prepared to make another. We now know there is at least some kind of dialogue between the two sides, so negotiations could very well continue until March 25th.
I also think the fact that O’Connor reported the Bulls as having offered “second-round picks” – as in plural – is not something to overlook. Karnisovas has done plenty of good things with those picks in the past, so his willingness to throw in multiple could tell us that he (1) does have a sense of urgency to fix the roster and/or (2) thinks highly of Ball.
So, yeah, the Ball rumors are back on, folks! We’ll not only have to keep our eyes on this over the next few days but also into the offseason when the Bulls can make a run for him again. Woohoo! Trade season!
Five days from the trade deadline – what's the status on all those Lonzo Ball rumors? https://t.co/wU3umoXVJW
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) March 20, 2021
