A ton was expected from Lonzo Ball when he came into the NBA as the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft.
He was hyped up as a future superstar and Hall of Famer, and many fell for the hype, but instead, he has maxed out as a lower-tier starting point guard, and most of all, he has had lots of trouble staying healthy.
He recently returned from a meniscus injury that had sidelined him for nearly three years, but he has struggled mightily to regain his past form.
There were some rumors that the Chicago Bulls would perhaps move on from Ball prior to the trade deadline, but according to John Hollinger, they turned down the opportunity to trade Ball for a first-round draft pick, per NBACentral.
The Chicago Bulls reportedly turned down a first round pick for Lonzo Ball, per @johnhollinger
“According to a league source, the Bulls had a firm offer to get a first-round pick and take on future money for Lonzo Ball and extended him instead. Good news, though: 12 of the… pic.twitter.com/dBCVmANOIH
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 12, 2025
Instead of cashing out on the oft-injured Ball, the Bulls gave him a two-year, $20 million extension last week.
In 30 games this season, Ball is averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 21.6 minutes a game while shooting 36.2 percent from the field.
He has put in a lot of work over the last few years to fit his outside shot, which was unreliable, partly due to his peculiar shooting mechanics, but he has made just 34.0 percent of his 3-point attempts this season.
With a 22-32 record, Chicago is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, and even though they could end up making the play-in tournament, odds are they won’t do much if they get there.
Receiving a first-round draft pick for an injury-prone player who may be damaged goods at this point of his career sounds like a great return, but instead, perhaps Chicago has fallen for the hype that has always surrounded Ball.
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