MINNEAPOLIS — Lonzo Ball isn’t going anywhere.
The Chicago Bulls are finalizing a two-year, $20 million extension with the point guard, a league source confirmed late Wednesday. ESPN was first to report the deal.
The decision to stay in Chicago comes amid a comeback season for Ball, who did not play a single game for 33 months after suffering a confounding left knee injury that required three procedures before his successful return in October. Ball is the first NBA player to ever successfully return to the league following a knee cartilage transplant.
Ball, 27, quickly regained his confidence as a savvy on-ball creator who can disrupt opponents on both ends of the court. He is averaging 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 30 games this season after having his playing-time restriction relaxed to 28 minutes per game. Ball leads the Bulls in steals per game despite playing fewer minutes than six other players on the roster.
Ball did not play in Wednesday night’s 127-108 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He still has not played in back-to-back games this season as part of the team’s recovery plan for his knee injury. The rest of the roster found out about the extension during halftime and immediately greeted the news with overwhelming positivity.
“I’m very, very happy for him,” center Nikola Vučević said. “I can’t think of many people who are more deserving to get that extension than him. It’s great that he’s going to stay with us.”
Although Ball emerged as a potential trade asset for the Bulls ahead of Thursday’s deadline, some potential suitors remained uncertain about his long-term viability as a contributor due to the duration of his knee injury. This extension is a pay cut for Ball, whose four-year, $80 million deal — which was originally signed with the New Orleans Pelicans — was set to expire at the end of this season.
But this shorter, cheaper bill makes sense for both Ball and the Bulls. The flexibility of the deal allows the Bulls to continue building a roster without the weight of veteran contracts while still retaining a key locker-room leader who teammates credit for elevating the roster’s competitiveness. And Ball remains in a stable setting to continue the final phase of his lengthy recovery process.
If Ball can convince other teams that his health will not detract from his ability to contribute on a contender, then the Bulls would have the ability to make a better trade down the line. But no matter what, the Bulls retained a talented playmaker — and avoided letting him walk in free agency.
Injuries will always be a concern with Ball, who never has played more than 55 games in a season over his eight years in the NBA due to a series of ankle and knee injuries. But when Ball is healthy, he remains one of the most dynamic guards in the league — a trait that only will grow stronger if and when he’s cleared for a full workload.
Column: New faces arrive, but the Chicago Bulls’ latest rebuild has a familiar look to it
Ball is set to become a crucial veteran piece in a rebuild process by the Bulls, who made their first deadline trade in three years Sunday in sending longtime star Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. Ball’s presence has already been crucial to the development of rookie Matas Buzelis, who credited Ball with elevating his ability to attack the court in transition and make more complicated reads off passes.
For coach Billy Donovan, this ability to elevate his teammates is the best quality Ball brings to the Bulls’ future.
“He’s been a great inspiration to a lot of us,” Donovan said. “We felt he was an important piece to (a rebuild) in terms of helping people. He’s got a great IQ. He knows how to play. He makes people around him better.”
The Chicago Bulls are finalizing a two-year, $20 million extension with point guard Lonzo Ball, a league source confirmed late Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS — Lonzo Ball isn’t going anywhere.
The Chicago Bulls are finalizing a two-year, $20 million extension with the point guard, a league source confirmed late Wednesday. ESPN was first to report the deal.
The decision to stay in Chicago comes amid a comeback season for Ball, who did not play a single game for 33 months after suffering a confounding left knee injury that required three procedures before his successful return in October. Ball is the first NBA player to ever successfully return to the league following a knee cartilage transplant.
Ball quickly regained his confidence as a savvy on-ball creator who can disrupt opponents on both ends of the court. He is averaging 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists after having his playing-time restriction relaxed to 28 minutes per game. Ball leads the Bulls in steals per game despite playing fewer minutes than six other players on the roster.
Although Ball emerged as a potential trade asset for the Bulls ahead of Thursday’s deadline, some potential suitors remained uncertain about his long-term viability as a contributor due to the duration of his knee injury. This extension is a pay cut for Ball, whose four-year, $80 million deal — which was originally signed with the New Orleans Pelicans — was set to expire at the end of this season.
Injuries will always be a concern with Ball, who never has played more than 55 games in a season over his eight years in the NBA due to a series of ankle and knee injuries. But when Ball is healthy, he remains one of the most dynamic guards in the league — a trait that only will grow stronger if and when he’s cleared for a full workload.
Ball is set to become a crucial veteran piece for a rebuild process by the Bulls, who made their first deadline trade in three years Sunday to send longtime star Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings.
More in Chicago Bulls
Discover more from World Byte News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
