Report: Lakers Could Try To Trade For Lonzo Ball

According to NBA reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers could try to trade for Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball

Ball began his career with the Lakers. 

Los Angeles already made one trade this season, sending D’Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton

Chicago is open to trading Ball, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic

Ball is averaging 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks this season while shooting 36.5% from the field, 33.0% from beyond the arc and 75.0% from the free-throw line. He’s making $21.4 million in the final year of his contract. 

The 27-year-old Ball has career averages of 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks with the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Bulls. He was the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

Ball missed the entire 2022-23 season and the 2023-24 campaign. The UCLA product underwent a cartilage transplant in his left knee and received a meniscus transplant from a donor.

Ball signed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Bulls in August 2021 as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Pelicans.

The Lakers are 23-18. They are in sixth place in the Western Conference standings under first-year head coach JJ Redick.  

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are growing concerned about the Lakers’ ability to make significant roster upgrades with their two tradeable first-rounders.

Both superstars have expressed they want the franchise to make moves to contend for a championship, believing that the Lakers are potentially a piece or two away from being a contender. 

After the Lakers lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, both LeBron and Redick said the team has to play perfect to win games due to how the roster is constructed. 

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