Chicago Bulls: Honest grades through Day 2 of NBA free agency
By Ryan Heckman
Lonzo Ball was the number one target all along for the Chicago Bulls
The deal
Chicago and New Orleans executed a sign-and-trade which sent guard Tomas Satoransky and forward Garrett Temple, along with a future second-round pick, to the Pelicans. The Bulls received Lonzo Ball and then signed him to a 4-year, $85 million contract.
The impact
The Bulls have been looking for their point guard since the exit of Derrick Rose. They have gone through several guys at the position, but now find themselves locking up a real franchise point guard in Ball.
Many believe Ball could be a future All Star, even. While the Bulls didn’t necessarily need an All Star point guard, they really just needed a guy who can facilitate the offense while providing a lift defensively. That’s exactly what they received in Ball.
light. Related Story. Bulls steal Lonzo Ball away from Pelicans
Ball being surrounded with scorers like Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and now DeMar DeRozan should not only help the Bulls offensively, but boost Ball’s overall game. We could see him approach, or even eclipse, double-digit assists this next season.
The grade
Chicago was able to shed salary by dealing Satoransky, which was a giant victory. They also only sent a second rounder in terms of draft capital. Temple was already an impending free agent, so the Bulls truly didn’t give up a whole lot. Considering a pretty team-friendly contract signed by Ball as well, this was a phenomenal deal all around.
Grade: A