Lakers Linked to Lonzo Ball

Lakers Linked to $80 Million Former No. 2 Pick Amid ‘Growing Concerns’ From LeBron, AD https://t.co/pcifNgpVQ8 via @heavysan

— LakerTom (@LakerTom) January 23, 2025

A reunion with Lonzo Ball is on the table for the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Ball “is someone that’s going to be on their radar.”

“I think depending on the price, if you could get him for a second or two second [round picks], I think that’s an interesting swing,” Buha said on “The Hoops Tonight” podcast on January 18. “And also someone with that 6’6″ frame that could potentially be similar to Bruce Brown, check a couple of boxes — he’s bulked up a little bit throughout his career, so he can guard twos and even some smaller threes and potentially be part of a one-through-three switching scheme. And then offensively, I think especially coming off the bench as a secondary ball-handler, playmaker and also a spot-up shooter, he’s someone who’s an interesting gamble for them.”

Ball, the Lakers’ No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has successfully returned from a serious left knee injury that sidelined him for two years.

The 27-year-old former UCLA star is averaging a modest 6.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Chicago Bulls on the final season of his four-year, $80 million deal.

Lonzo Ball Yet to Rediscover Shooting Form
No longer the rising star he once was before the injury, Ball has struggled to shoot the ball in his return. His 36.5% field goal shooting and 3% 3-point shooting are a far cry from his career-best 42.3% shooting on both field goal and from the 3-point line during the 2021-22 season.

Ball is represented by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who also handles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis‘s careers.

The Lakers can theoretically trade Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt for Ball. But Buha noted that Vanderbilt has negative value around the league due to his injury and length of contract.

Buha said the Lakers would need to attach a first-round pick to offload Vanderbilt’s four-year, $48 million contract.