Lonzo Ball Thread (UPDATE: Bulls Offer Sato + 2nd Round picks)

[WindyCityBorn]

I understand the reservations about Lonzo, and I’m not 100% sure I want to pay his asking price this summer unless it’s seriously depressed by his RFA status, nor am I willing to offer more than Lauri to get him at the deadline - and I’d only offer Lauri if we couldn’t get a first for him instead (any 1st, in just about any year), but...

Lonzo/Coby
LaVine
Kuminga
Williams
WCJ

...looks kinda filthy to me.

Filthy but we would still be the youngest team and struggle to win. We would need 5 healthy vets to become a winner.

Yeah we gotta get some veteran starter quality players. We need to be 100 percent playoffs next season. They got this season to screw around with Coby and Williams(recently) getting minutes they don’t deserve and generally not playing to win.

[MrSparkle]

If the draft comes around, and Bulls do happen to luck into a playmaker (Cade, Suggs), and Lauri finishes the season limping... we might actually want those RFA rights in case it's looking like a <$15m market.

Also think Lonzo would bump our win total, if not for any other reason than giving the line-up more flexibility to beat bum teams while Lauri is injured.

Think this one should be a deadline decision. Obviously a decent conversation starter, as both (probably) make more sense on the opposite teams. I really think Lauri would fit nicely as a bench guy in NOP; Zion-sub.

[Grodoboldo]

Read on Twitter

@ShamsCharania: The Raptors and Cavaliers are engaged in active talks on potential Andre Drummond deal to Toronto/Tampa, per sources.

Details about that and more on Inside Pass at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/TkABHOgrFp

Chicago Bulls

Among the teams that has interest in Lonzo Ball and could pursue him: The Bulls, sources said. The sides so far have not had dialogue, per sources. Ball, 23, represents a starting point guard who is entering restricted free agency in the offseason. Ball, a two-way guard, has averaged 13.4 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range.

[Grodoboldo]

Read on Twitter

@ShamsCharania: The Raptors and Cavaliers are engaged in active talks on potential Andre Drummond deal to Toronto/Tampa, per sources.

Details about that and more on Inside Pass at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/TkABHOgrFp

Chicago Bulls

Among the teams that has interest in Lonzo Ball and could pursue him: The Bulls, sources said. The sides so far have not had dialogue, per sources. Ball, 23, represents a starting point guard who is entering restricted free agency in the offseason. Ball, a two-way guard, has averaged 13.4 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range.

The sides so far have not had dialogue

LOL, this leak clearly came from Lonzo's camp. It seems he wants to come to Chicago.

[Chi town]

Read on Twitter

@ShamsCharania: The Raptors and Cavaliers are engaged in active talks on potential Andre Drummond deal to Toronto/Tampa, per sources.

Details about that and more on Inside Pass at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/TkABHOgrFp

Chicago Bulls

Among the teams that has interest in Lonzo Ball and could pursue him: The Bulls, sources said. The sides so far have not had dialogue, per sources. Ball, 23, represents a starting point guard who is entering restricted free agency in the offseason. Ball, a two-way guard, has averaged 13.4 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range.

The sides so far have not had dialogue

LOL, this leak clearly came from Lonzo's camp. It seems he wants to come to Chicago.

Yep. What many of us said all along.

I don’t see AK trading for a RFA. Just sign him this summer.

[NecessaryEvil]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[Clint Eastwood]

Let’s trade lauri for ball, and Otto and carter for Drummond. Resign both and roll with a lineup of
Drummond/thadeus
Patrick/thadeus
Lavine
White
Ball.

Draft a small forward in the draft.

[NecessaryEvil]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[OldSchoolNoBull]

Let’s trade lauri for ball, and Otto and carter for Drummond. Resign both and roll with a lineup of
Drummond/thadeus
Patrick/thadeus
Lavine
White
Ball.

Draft a small forward in the draft.

I think Drummond/Ball is an either/or proposition. I don't think we want to have two absolute zeroes in terms of shooting in the starting lineup at the same time in today's NBA.

EDIT: Upon looking at his stats, it appears Lonzo is not an absolute zero in terms of shooting this season. But I'm still not sure I trust him enough as a shooter if Drummond is the C.

[pipfan]

I want to keep Lauri if we get Ball-he would really benefit from a good passer in the starting lineup.
I would offer Sato and a lottery protected 1st for a year or two (then 2 2nds) for Ball.
Ball/White
Lavine/White
Williams/Valentine/Hutch
Lauri
WCJ/Gafford
plus vets like Young and Temple-that's enough young talent-where giving up a #16 pick won't kill us

[ImSlower]

I've rather come around on Lonzo. His FT% has completely turned around from being worse than mine when I was 13 years old, to a somewhat decent 74%. He's actually been terrific from 3pt in February, going 29-for-60. He sure is an intriguing fit with LaVine.

I haven't paid much attention to his gameplay this year. His advanced stats say his defense has cratered since his rookie year - what does the eye test say? Regardless, he'd be such a huge upgrade on that end from broken-sieve Coby that anything would look great.

[BrooklynBulls]

I've rather come around on Lonzo. His FT% has completely turned around from being worse than mine when I was 13 years old, to a somewhat decent 74%.

He is 17-23 on the season. His free throw draw rate is tied for 4th worst in the league.

[ImSlower]

I've rather come around on Lonzo. His FT% has completely turned around from being worse than mine when I was 13 years old, to a somewhat decent 74%.

He is 17-23 on the season. His free throw draw rate is tied for 4th worst in the league.

Hah! Well that is a bit disheartening.

[FriedRise]

I've rather come around on Lonzo. His FT% has completely turned around from being worse than mine when I was 13 years old, to a somewhat decent 74%.

He is 17-23 on the season. His free throw draw rate is tied for 4th worst in the league.

Hah! Well that is a bit disheartening.

Well you just hope that when he starts seeing his FT% go up, maybe that’ll make him be less hesitant to draw fouls.

[sco]

He is 17-23 on the season. His free throw draw rate is tied for 4th worst in the league.

Hah! Well that is a bit disheartening.

Well you just hope that when he starts seeing his FT% go up, maybe that’ll make him be less hesitant to draw fouls.

I'd love to use him as a 3rd guard alongside Coby and Zach and have him guard SF's. PWill can guard PF's and Lauri can be traded.

[Grodoboldo]

Hah! Well that is a bit disheartening.

Well you just hope that when he starts seeing his FT% go up, maybe that’ll make him be less hesitant to draw fouls.

I'd love to use him as a 3rd guard alongside Coby and Zach and have him guard SF's. PWill can guard PF's and Lauri can be traded.

Yeah, you just explained perfectly why I came around to this trade.
We use an asset that's not really and asset (Lauri as a pending RFA) to theoretically acquire a piece that fits better, giving us half a season to better evaluate if we want to pay him.

Coby/LaVine/Ball/Williams/Carter is such a versatile line-up on paper.

[WindyCityBorn]

Let’s trade lauri for ball, and Otto and carter for Drummond. Resign both and roll with a lineup of
Drummond/thadeus
Patrick/thadeus
Lavine
White
Ball.

Draft a small forward in the draft.

LaVine cannot handle the SF position. Dude is like 6’5” 190 lbs. Williams is not a PF either.

[Chi town]

Let’s trade lauri for ball, and Otto and carter for Drummond. Resign both and roll with a lineup of
Drummond/thadeus
Patrick/thadeus
Lavine
White
Ball.

Draft a small forward in the draft.

LaVine cannot handle the SF position. Dude is like 6’5” 190 lbs. Williams is not a PF either.

With everyone going small I think Lonzo can defend SFs.

[Kukoc-Lauri]

Let’s trade lauri for ball, and Otto and carter for Drummond. Resign both and roll with a lineup of
Drummond/thadeus
Patrick/thadeus
Lavine
White
Ball.

Draft a small forward in the draft.

LaVine cannot handle the SF position. Dude is like 6’5” 190 lbs. Williams is not a PF either.

With everyone going small I think Lonzo can defend SFs.

he probably could but White Lavine pairing could not guard a chair. Imo they cannot play together, especially how others Bulls players are bad /young/inexperience on defense. Lavine and White have similar strenghts and weakneasses and are redundant to each other. Ball Lavine with Sato (if not traded) White from bench is good backcourt.

[sco]

LaVine cannot handle the SF position. Dude is like 6’5” 190 lbs. Williams is not a PF either.

With everyone going small I think Lonzo can defend SFs.

he probably could but White Lavine pairing could not guard a chair. Imo they cannot play together, especially how others Bulls players are bad /young/inexperience on defense. Lavine and White have similar strenghts and weakneasses and are redundant to each other. Ball Lavine with Sato (if not traded) White from bench is good backcourt.

I'd try Coby with starters for rest of season (along with Ball and Zach)...if nothing else, we can see how Coby does as predominantly a spot-up shooter. If he doesn't amaze, I'm all-in on dumping him in the offseason.