The Chicago Bulls have their point guard.
As had been expected, Lonzo Ball has agreed to a four-year, $85 million offer sheet with the Chicago Bulls, leading to a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, a story broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and confirmed by K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball is landing on a four-year, $85 million contract with Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade agreement, his agent and @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 2, 2021
Bulls, who tried to acquire Lonzo Ball at March trade deadline, are confident Pelicans won't match four-year, $85M deal. Sign-and-trade talks forthcoming.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) August 2, 2021
Headed back to New Orleans are Tomas Satoransky — a good shooter to play next to the driving game of Zion Williamson — and point guard Garrett Temple, as well as a future second-round pick.
Lonzo Ball to the Bulls had been rumored for days and is a good fit, they need another playmaker next to Olympian Zach LaVine. Ball is at his best in transition — Billy Donovan has to get this team out and running, up from its middle-of-the-pack pace last season — and brings elite passing plus fantastic on-ball defense. Ball averaged 14.6 points and 5.7 assists a game last season. He’s a smart player.
In the halfcourt, Ball can serve as a secondary playmaker to LaVine, with the ball getting inside to Nikola Vucevic more, plus Ball has become respectable from 3 if you let him set his feet (38.8% on eight attempts a game last season). Still, it’s finding guys on look-aheads and getting out and running that is his specialty, and the Bulls need to go with that.