The Chicago Bulls have been stuck in a weird middle-ground over the past few years and were expected to be heavy sellers at the February 6 NBA trade deadline. While the Bulls traded away two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, that was the end of their selling spree.
The Bulls were expected to shop guys like Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and Patrick Williams alongside LaVine. But, the trade deadline came and went, and those three are still in Chicago. Ball, 27, is certainly an interesting asset, and the Bulls reportedly came close to trading him away.
CHSN's K.C. Johnson joined the Gimme The Hot Sauce podcast to report that the Bulls had a general trade offer for Ball ready ahead of the trade deadline, but the near-deal did not go through. The general trade offer was:
Chicago Bulls receive: Late first-round pick, bad long-term contract player
Team 2 receives: Lonzo Ball, second-round pick
Instead of trading away Ball, they brought him back and signed him to a two-year, $20 million extension. Ball is coming off a two-year absence due to injury, but has looked impressive since returning. In ten starts this season, Ball is averaging 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game, shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc.
While Ball's future in Chicago was in question ahead of the deadline, the Bulls have made it clear that the 27-year-old guard will be a Bull for a while.
