TrueStar Staff 
Not too long ago, I briefly touched on Lonzo Ball potentially being traded to the Bulls in the 2019 off-season. Some may have looked at that and thought it was a terrible idea, especially with the negativity that Ball is surrounded by, both on and off the court. But the more that someone looks into the trade, the more sense it makes for the Bulls to go out and trade for the 2017 2nd overall pick.
Now, in order for Chicago to trade for Ball, they will almost certainly have to trade their number 7 pick to the Lakers, along with one or two throw-away 2nd round picks or players, such as Chandler Hutchison or Antonio Blakeney. With the 7th pick obviously being the most valuable trade asset in the trade, it is the most attractive piece for the Lakers. The 7th pick can become an array of players, such as Cameron Reddish or Coby White or someone else that the Lakers would rather have and is available. Or LA can use the 7th pick as ammo to help their quest of trading for Anthony Davis.
But why would the Lakers want to trade away their young, promising point guard? Well the best reason is that Ball is simply a bad fit for the Lakers. The Lakers want to maximize the amount of success they can have with LeBron James before James leaves or declines heavily, and James’ success has always occurred when he is surrounded by shooters and is the main passer for his team. Ball’s game isn’t what James needs. Ball’s game accels more when he is the primary passer, and he is arguably a top five passer in the NBA already. Plus Ball isn’t exactly a good shooter… at all. He has some of the ugliest percentages (38 percent shooting from the field, 31.5 percent shooting from 3, 43.7 percent shooting from the free throw line) we have ever seen. A point guard like Coby White, a player capable of being a good spot-up shooter and a offensive threat, is more suited for the Lakers than Ball will ever be.
Ball is a much better fit for the Bulls. He would be the point guard of a team full of good shooters and three amazing offensive weapons in Otto Porter, Lauri Markkanen, and Zach Lavine. His demand for scoring production would minimize, while his passing production would skyrocket. The Bulls are also in need of rebounding, which Ball’s large frame and athleticism would provide. A possible statline for Ball in Chicago would be something like 7-10 points per game, 10-12 assist per game, and 6-8 rebounds per game, while applying (much needed) amazing defense for a team in the bottom of the league in defensive rating.
Don’t be surprised if the Bulls do decided to trade for Ball come draft night on June 20th. Guess we’ll just have to stay tuned!
By Hugo Vazquez, Junior, Brooks College Prep
Instagram: @sadbullsfan14 / Snapchat: hugovbrooks
