Lonzo Ball Makes Eye-Opening Admission About Lakers’ Anthony Davis Trade

It’s been several years since the Los Angeles Lakers traded with the New Orleans Pelicans to land Anthony Davis but it has had long-term ramifications around the league. One of the players affected by the trade was guard Lonzo Ball.

He seemed like the future face of the Lakers after he was the No. 2 pick of the team in 2017. However, he learned a tough lesson early in his career. He recently had a chance to open up about the trade and its impact on him.

“That’s the first time that I realized like this is definitely a business,” Ball said of the trade during a July 8 appearance on the “What An Experience” podcast. “You know? At the same time, it was like it’s Anthony Davis. To be fair, I would have traded myself for Anthony Davis.

“There was never a time that I was traded or a move was made, and like I knew it was going to happen. You just got to expect it to come. If it come, it come, if it don’t, it don’t. That’s what I would say. Just try to stay positive, either way like in the NBA, regardless. So as long as I could play, that’s all I really care about. Whoever I put the jersey on for, it’s not going to be like I’m a change for them.”

The trade worked out for the Lakers as Davis is still playing at a high level and the team won a championship in 2020. For Ball, it’s been a tough road. He’s missed back-to-back seasons due to a knee injury and has yet to play a playoff game.

Lonzo Ball Expected to Play Again Next Season

There’s been real concern that Ball’s knee injury could cause his career to end early. However, there’s optimism that he’ll be making a return at some point, according to The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry.

“Team officials are confident Ball, out since Jan. 14, 2022, due to a chronic knee ailment, will play next season,” Mayberry wrote in a June 4 column. “They’re just not as confident about when.”

It’s been over two years since Ball played in an NBA game so the Chicago Bulls can’t rush his return to the court. He will almost certainly be eased into things. Ball is entering a contract year so it’s important he plays and plays well if he hopes to get another contract in the offseason.

Billy Donovan Hoping for Lonzo Ball’s Return

It’s been a rough offseason for the Bulls. They lost DeMar DeRozan in free agency and traded away Alex Caruso for a poor return. Getting Ball back would be some good news for a team that hasn’t gotten a lot of it.

Head coach Bill Donovan believes Ball is getting better and he’s hoping he can get on the court this season.

“Hopefully we can get Lonzo back,” Donovan said in a July 14 interview on Sirius XM NBA Radio. “He’s moving closer … he’s a guy that everyone enjoys playing with and I think the same can be said for Josh [Giddey].”

Ball likely won’t be the same defender he once was coming off the injury but he was hitting 42.3% of his 3-point shots before the injury. If he can still shoot like that, he’ll have value to Chicago.