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The offseason is here for the Chicago Bulls, and it is an important one as the team looks to return to a more competitive form in the near future. The Bulls have been stuck during the past few years as their desire to remain competitive has stopped them from achieving the ultimate goal of being a contender. When a lot of teams are in the position that the Bulls are in, they choose to tank to get a better draft pick. Chicago hasn't done that, and it has resulted in three straight play-in tournament losses. Instead of tanking to get to where they want to be, the Bulls are going to make some trades this offseason. One of them could involve Lonzo Ball.
Lonzo Ball has been in the NBA for eight seasons now, but he did miss two full years because of a knee injury. Ball was selected with the second pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has since played for the New Orleans Pelicans before joining the Bulls in 2021.
A lot of people thought that Ball was going to be traded before the All-Star break, but he reached an agreement with the Bulls on a two-year deal. However, that deal left the door open for a trade, and it could be coming soon.
Ball isn't the same player that he was before his knee injury, but he is still a good role player when he can stay healthy. He made his long-awaited return to the court for Chicago this past season, and it took him a while to get back into a rhythm. He finished the season averaging 7.6 points per game, which is the lowest total of his career. However, Ball also averaged only 22.2 minutes per game, which is also the lowest of his career.
There are some teams across the league that could use a player like Lonzo Ball, and there are others that wouldn't be a good fit. Here are the three best destinations for Ball if the Bulls do decide to trade him this offseason:
3. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets would be an intriguing destination for Lonzo Ball because of the fact that his brother, LaMelo Ball, is currently the star of the team. If LaMelo ends up staying put in Charlotte, that would be a good situation for Lonzo. However, that trade might not be the best decision for the Hornets as Lonzo might not fit into their current rebuild plan. It doesn't seem like a very likely destination, but it would be cool to see the Ball brothers on the same team.
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2. Dallas Mavericks
Because of Kyrie Irving's injury late last season, Lonzo Ball could be a good fit for the Mavericks. After trading Luka Doncic, everything started to go downhill in Dallas, and the future was looking bleak. However, things started to turn around when the Mavericks shockingly won the NBA Draft Lottery. Dallas had less than a 2% chance to get the first pick, but that didn't matter. The Mavericks got it, and Cooper Flagg is going to be joining the team.
The addition of Cooper Flagg will be huge, but it doesn't solve every issue. Irving will be recovering from his injury for a while, and the Mavericks could use some help at point guard in the meantime.
1. Los Angeles Lakers
Lastly, a return to the Lakers would be great for Lonzo Ball. Ball grew up in Southern California and spent his college days playing for UCLA. The Lakers are the team that drafted Ball, but he only spent two years with the team. The Lakers could use another experienced role player like him for next season as they look to make a deeper run in the postseason in what could be one of LeBron James' final chances at a ring.
There is still a lot of uncertainty about Lonzo Ball's future in Chicago, but if the Bulls do decide to trade him, he likely wouldn't be too upset about joining any of these three teams.
