Lakers Trade Rumors: Bulls Open to Talking Lonzo Ball If Pick is Right

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Getty Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball

With the NBA Draft Lottery just a few hours away, some relatively big rumors began surfacing involving young Laker star Lonzo Ball and the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers are desperate to make a splash and adding another top draft pick helps to possibly set them up for a trade with Anthony Davis.

The Bulls currently have the fourth best odds in the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery and have a 12.5% chance to take the top overall pick.


Lakers Trade Rumors: Bulls Open to Talking Lonzo Ball If Pick is Right

With the Bulls projected to wind up with the fourth pick, it seems that they are planning on starting up negotiations for Lonzo Ball. While they have a 12.5% chance at the first pick and a 12.2% chance to land the second pick, the overwhelming odds are that they wind up with a pick in the 3-6 range, setting them up to negotiate with the Lakers (who are likely to pick either 11th or 12th).

Already loaded with young talent in the frontcourt with their duo of Wendell Carter and Baby Dir, the Bulls desperately need a pass-first point guard to help get their two big men the ball in a position to score. Kris Dunn isn’t necessarily a bad option at point guard, but Ball offers a drastic improvement in terms of defense, passing, and the ferocious pace he plays at should benefit both Carter and Markkanen.


What a Lakers-Bulls Trade Means for Los Angeles

If the Lakers decide to ship off Lonzo Ball for a top draft pick, that likely signals the Lakers making a move to go all in for Anthony Davis. With two lottery picks at their disposal, they would be able to offer a comparable, if not better package to the Pelicans than the Celtics could. Even if the Celtics land this year’s Memphis pick, the addition of the Bulls pick earlier in the draft would set the Laker offer apart.

With two lottery picks and a number of assets like Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart still in place, the Lakers could offer the Pelicans the cap relief, young talent, and draft capital they were initially looking for when the deal fell through the first time around.

On the chance the Lakers still strike out on the Anthony Davis trade and are instead forced to pick with their two lottery selections, they have the opportunity to address two fairly large needs early on. With big holes in the shooting department as well as in need of a rim-running big man, the Lakers could strike twice early and help bolster their roster with more young talent. Though this path is unlikely given the clock is ticking for LeBron’s window in LA, it might set them up for a bit more success in the long run.