The Chicago Bulls won’t win a ton of games this season, but they have some interesting roster narratives brewing.
One of the most compelling stories in Chicago is Lonzo Ball’s comeback from injury.
Ball has looked excellent during preseason, and everyone in the basketball world is hoping he can stay healthy for an extended period.
Ball is one of many lead guards on Chicago’s roster, pointing to a roster imbalance. In addition to Ball, the Bulls have the following ball-dominant players on the depth chart at present: presumed starting point guard Josh Giddey, Zach LaVine, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, DJ Steward, Jevon Carter, and Talen Horton-Tucker.
Some of these guys are expected to be traded. It’s been widely documented that Chicago has been trying to deal LaVine for ages. And while Ball’s departure would disappoint many Bulls fans, it might behoove Chicago to send away his expiring deal if Ball proves he’s healthy and attracts suitors before February.
One of those buyers could be the Toronto Raptors, who were recently called a likely trade destination for Ball by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes.
“(Ball’s) expiring $21.4 million salary is a close match to Bruce Brown's $23 million,” Hughes said. “The difference between those two is all about upside and fit.”
“Ball is only a year younger than Brown but was a star-level role-playing starter when he was last healthy. His reliable shooting, highly intelligent connective passing and ball-hawking defense would be ideal next to Immanuel Quickley in Toronto's backcourt. Brown is a short-timer with the Raptors, so it'd be worth sending out a little draft equity to the Bulls for a shot at being the team with which Ball resurrects his career.”
On the other hand, could Chicago pivot and re-invest in Ball, removing him from the trade market?
The Bulls need to figure out what they’re doing with Giddey, White, Dosunmu, and Ball.
Not all four of these guys can co-exist harmoniously for long, and that’s assuming Chicago finds a way to deal LaVine.
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