Lonzo Ball doesn’t expect LeBron James to retire this summer. The Chicago Bulls guard made the claim during a recent appearance on his “What an Experience With Lonzo Ball” podcast.
“He’s done everything you can do in basketball,” Ball said. “He’s maximized the situation. Him hooping at 40, he’s still averaging like 27, eight, and 7. [Retirement] is up to him, to be honest. I don’t think he’s retiring this summer. He’s playing again.”
LeBron has a player option for next season. He potentially could opt out of the deal and look to play elsewhere, call time on his career, opt out and re-sign at a better price point or opt in and play out the final year of his deal. It’s worth noting that LeBron will be entering his age 41 season if he decides to return for another year.
Ball spent one year with LeBron before being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the deal that saw Anthony Davis head toward Hollywood.
Since leaving the Lakers, Ball has proven himself as an elite playmaker and perimeter defender. Unfortunately, a persistent knee injury has derailed his career. However, that hasn’t stopped him from being a fan favorite, especially among younger NBA fans. Ball’s podcast also features his brother LiAngelo Ball.
Ball’s Injury Issues are Persistent
Despite returning from a two-year injury layoff, Lonzo Ball ended the 2024-25 season on the Bulls’ injury report. The playmaking guard continues to search for a prolonged period of health.
Nevertheless, Ball is under contract for the next two years, having signed an extension with the Bulls earlier this year. As such, Ball has plenty of time to get healthy and rebuild his value around the NBA.
For now, though, Ball must continue to work on his conditioning and his pain management. The best way for him to rebuild his value is to remain healthy. After all, until he proves he can sustain a full season, other teams around the league will likely be apprehensive to acquire him.
Bulls Maybe Made a Mistake on Extending Ball
During a recent episode of the “CHGO Bulls Podcast,” Matt Peck and Will Gottlieb questioned the decision to give Ball a two-year $20 million contract extension.
“The Bulls roster building strategy should be to take on bad contracts for picks, to have multiple bites of the apple,” Gottlieb said. “To be able to bring in multiple players on rookie scale contracts to fill out your roster that have potential…I think ultimately, it was a mistake not to trade him (Ball).”
When healthy this season, Ball made a strong impression off the Bulls’ bench. He averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists, shooting 36.6% from the field. Considering how much time he’s missed over the past few years, those numbers were encouraging for Chicago.
After all, Ball may never reach the level he once played at, but, he could still be a highly impactful member of a rotation. His ability to break down defenses in the half-court, while guarding the opposing teams best player are both still highly valuable in the NBA.
