As the NBA offseason quickly approaches, trade rumors have started to swirl. Featured in one of the latest rumors circulated around the league, the Dallas Mavericks are reported to have interest in the Chicago Bulls' guard Lonzo Ball.
According to Marc Stein, via The Stein Line, Dallas is hoping to land a new point guard in place of Kyrie Irving, who suffered an ACL tear in March. While Ball wasn't at the top of the Mavericks' reported list, he is likely their best and cheapest option as a proven player who has experience in the league.
Mavericks Have Interest in Trading for Lonzo Ball
As Dallas looks to step into a new era after trading Luka Doncic and is set to land Cooper Flagg in the 2025 NBA Draft, they are also rumored to be interested in landing a new point guard for the team. Stein said that while Jrue Holiday and Chris Paul are atop general manager Nico Harrison's list, landing Ball at a cheaper price is still very much on the table.
Per Stein's reporting, the Mavericks are "maintaining an interest in a far more reasonable trade target as we've discussed on the DLLS Mavs podcast: Lonzo Ball."
Ball played in just 35 games this year after returning from a knee injury that kept him out of the 2023-23 and 2023-24 NBA seasons. Following more than 1000 days away from on-court action, he averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals a game on 36.6/34.4/81.5 shooting splits this year.
Ball is set to make $10 million in each of the next two seasons after signing an extension with the Bulls in February.
In exchange for landing Ball, Dallas would likely send back either P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, or Max Christie to Chicago. Washington and Marshall seem like the more likely options, and both would fill a hole in the Bulls' roster as younger forwards who can run the floor and score.
Ball's Career in Chicago
The Chicago Bulls acquired Ball in 2021 from the New Orleans Pelicans in hopes of finding a dynamic guard who could run the team's offense with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic.
Coming off a career-high year in scoring and shooting percentages, he initially looked to be a perfect fit. However, in January of 2021, Ball suffered a meniscus tear that saw him go through multiple surgeries and miss more than two and a half years of basketball.
As things stand today, Ball has played in just 70 total games in his tenure with Chicago. While at his peak, Ball has one of the most unique and unselfish play styles in the NBA, he has yet to put together a complete season in a Bulls uniform.
As the team looks to step into a new era led by Coby White, Josh Giddey, and Matas Buzelis, it might be best for Chicago to scan the market for potential suitors for Ball. While he has been a fan favorite in his time with the Bulls, the injuries have put a damper on him as an impactful player. Even when healthy in spurts this season, he was still coming off the bench in more than half of the games in which he saw action.
If Ball can stay healthy, he is more than worth the $10 million he is set to be owed in each of the next two seasons. But as seen, that isn't a guarantee, and holding a roster spot for him doesn't look to be the best move for a team that is now prioritizing youth and focusing on the development of their rising stars.
In the two seasons Ball has played in Chicago, he is averaging 10.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals a game in 28.4 minutes a night on 39.4/38.3/78.2 shooting splits. He has played in just 70 of 328 total regular-season games over the past four seasons.
It would be a difficult decision if Chicago chooses to move on from Ball, who has been extremely popular in both the locker room and fan base of the team.