After being a part of an NBA blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball may be on the move once again.
The young guard is having one of the best seasons of his career with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Despite this, his name was floating around the rumor mill heavily during the trade deadline.
His contract is set to expire soon and the Pelicans likely are not willing to pay as much as other teams to keep Ball around.
With Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, it has been difficult for Ball to find his place in the offense.
Currently, he is being limited to only being a playmaker and facilitator when he could be much more than that on another team.
There are three teams that could be making calls to the Pelicans front office to inquire about Ball.
3. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets took a risk drafting Lonzo’s brother Lamelo with the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
This was a risk that paid off greatly for the Hornets.
Prior to his injury, Ball was the frontrunner to win the Rookie of the Year award this season.
Pairing him with his older brother would be a match made in heaven both on and off the court.
In terms of off of the court, Lonzo would be a great mentor for Lamelo.
He would be able to play the big brother role and make sure that he stays out of trouble and in the gym.
Along with this, they grew up together, you could not ask for better chemistry between teammates.
The fit is perfect on the court as well.
While Lamelo has proven himself as a great facilitator, he is a score first player.
Having his older brother there to take some of the playmaking load off of his shoulders would open up his game as a scorer.
Along with this, Lonzo would be there to pick up some of the slack on the defensive end.
Lonzo and LaMelo Ball are the first pair of brothers ever to each be drafted in the Top-5 of the NBA Draft. h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/o0lGkcFnoK
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 19, 2020
2. New York Knicks
There are two major reasons in which the Knicks would trade for Ball.
The first being that he would be a perfect fit for head coach Tom Thibodeau’s system.
Thibodeau is a defensive minded coach.
In his first year as the head coach, he has transformed the Knicks from the laughing stock of the league to a playoff contender with one of the best defenses in the league.
Ball is one of the best perimeter defenders at the point guard position.
Adding him to the rotation would make them a playoff contender for years to come.
The second reason is that both would benefit from each other financially.
The Knicks have desperately been looking for a star player to brand around since Carmelo Anthony left the team.
A big name like Lonzo Ball could be enough to get more people in the arena.
Along with this, being in a huge market like New York would do wonders to grow Lonzo’s already massive brand.
Lastly, Ball was in talks to head to the Knicks during the Anthony Davis trade, so it would not be far-fetched to believe that the Knicks still have interest in him.
Possible Blockbuster TRADE 🚨
–#Lakers acquire Anthony Davis, Darius Miller, Trey Burke
–#Pelicans receive Kristaps Porzingis, Brandon Ingram, KCP, Ivica Zubac, Noah Vonleh
–#Knicks receive Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma
Could it happen? 👀#NBA pic.twitter.com/sjcmkFCxC9
— Jake Weinbach (@WeinbachNBA) January 31, 2019
1. Chicago Bulls
The final team that may trade for Lonzo Ball is the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls are another team that have already shown previous interest in Ball.
They were one of the teams that were frequently paired with Lonzo during the trade deadline.
A deal was unable to be reached at the deadline, however, it does not mean that something could not happen in the near future.
Chicago Bulls have had discussions about trading for Lonzo Ball.
Lonzo camp has made it public that the Bulls would be a destination he'd prefer. Bulls appear set to upgrade starting PG spot this offseason through the draft, free agency or trade.
Source: https://t.co/I0QsHF6G8J pic.twitter.com/Hk7wT799uX
— Chicago Bulls Rumors (@chicagobullsbot) April 13, 2019
Ball would be a great addition to the roster of the Bulls.
Pairing him with Zach LaVine in the backcourt would be a great duo.
Ball excels in all of the areas that LaVine struggles in.
While being one of the best scorers in the NBA, LaVine oftentimes does not show the same effort on the defensive end.
This could change if the Bulls become playoff contenders, however, Ball would be able to pick up the slack on defense.
Along with this, the Bulls offense runs entirely through LaVine, meaning that he is forced to be the team’s playmaker.
LaVine has never excelled as a passer and as a result of this, his teammates are often left to fend for themselves on offense.
Adding Ball to the team would allow more players to be involved in the offense and be less of a one man show.
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