Lonzo Ball has yet to appear in a playoff game in his entire NBA career, but that could quickly change this season.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported Tuesday that the Chicago Bulls guard Ball is drawing interest from three particular playoff teams ahead of this week’s NBA trade deadline. Those three teams, Scotto says, are the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.
After missing over two-and-a-half calendar years due to injury, the 27-year-old Ball is back this season and has returned to a nice contributory role off the bench for Chicago. He is averaging 7.2 points and 3.5 assists in just 21.3 minutes per game, shooting 34.8 percent from deep and showing off his famed defensive chops again as well.
At 21-29, the Bulls may be pulling the plug on the season, especially after trading Zach LaVine over the weekend. Ball is also an easier and lower-risk piece to move right now since he will be a free agent in the summer.
As for Ball’s potential suitors above, there is certainly some intrigue there. The Wolves are No. 7 in the West right now but have slipped defensively this season and have also witnessed a regression from starting point guard Mike Conley, who is now 37 years old. The Pistons are also a No. 7 seed (in the East) and are locked in at point guard with Cade Cunningham. But Jaden Ivey recently suffered an ugly broken leg, and Marcus Sasser is not all that inspiring as Cunningham’s direct backup. Finally, the Grizzlies are No. 2 in the West at 34-16 and could use another point guard with starter Ja Morant already having missed 21 games this year with various bumps and bruises. Memphis also has an older veteran guard whom they may like to get rid of.
The former No. 2 overall pick Ball has been with Chicago since 2021. But this is not the first time that he has been mentioned as a trade candidate, and he could be on the move now that he is finally back on the court and playing this season.
