Bulls, Lonzo Ball Agree To Two-Year Contract Extension

The Chicago Bulls and point guard Lonzo Ball have agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract extension, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network first reported that the two sides were finalizing the deal, with the second year of the extension set to be a team option, sources told Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

Ball had reportedly drawn interest from several teams on the NBA trade market, including the Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

However, Johnson later reported that while Chicago had received offers involving draft picks, potential trade partners were looking to send out multiyear salaries, which did not appeal to the Bulls.

Despite the trade rumors, the Bulls have made it clear that they were not eager to move Ball, as reported by Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line earlier this week. The team was more inclined to retain the 27-year-old guard beyond his current contract, rather than pursue a buyout.

Although Ball will remain trade-eligible due to the structure of his new deal falling within the NBA’s extend-and-trade limits, it seems highly unlikely the Bulls would move him unless they had every intention of keeping him through Thursday’s trade deadline.

After missing two-and-a-half NBA seasons recovering from multiple knee surgeries, Ball made his comeback in the fall.

While his stats – 7.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game – are career lows and his shooting percentages have dipped below his usual standards (36.2% from the floor, 34.0% on three-pointers), Ball has proven to be a valuable asset beyond the numbers.

The Bulls have outscored opponents by 4.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, compared to being outscored by 6.1 points when he’s off.

Ball is described as “beloved” by both coaches and teammates, with Johnson noting his role as a mentor within the team.

Even after trading Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings this week, the Bulls’ backcourt remains crowded, with Josh Giddey, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Tre Jones, and Jevon Carter all vying for playing time. But some of those players are considered potential trade candidates, and Ball now stands as the only one with a contract that could extend beyond next season.

Ball is currently in the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract he signed with Chicago in 2021, earning $21.4 million this season.