Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has exercised his player option for 2024/25, locking in his $21.4MM salary for next season, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The decision was a no-brainer, given that Ball hasn’t played a game since January 2022 due to knee problems. He has undergone a series of procedures on his troublesome left knee, including receiving a cartilage transplant in 2023.
There’s hope that the latest of those surgeries will help get him back on the court next season, but given the uncertainty surrounding his prognosis, there’s obviously no chance that Ball would have been able to exceed $21.4MM on the open market if he had declined his option in favor of free agency.
Ball spent two seasons with the Lakers and two more with the Pelicans before being sent from New Orleans to Chicago in a sign-and-trade deal during the 2021 offseason.
During the first half of his first season as a Bull, Ball looked like a steal on his new four-year, $80MM contract, making a major two-way impact as the team’s starting point guard. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals in 34.6 minutes per game across 35 appearances before being sidelined. The Bulls went 22-13 in those games, but haven’t had the former No. 2 overall pick available in the two-plus years since then.
Ball picking up his player option doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be on the Bulls’ roster in 2024/25. If his injury is ultimately deemed to be career-ending by a Fitness to Play panel, the club would be permitted to let him go without his $21.4MM cap hit counting against its books. It’s also possible the 26-year-old could be included in a trade for salary-matching purposes, given that his contract isn’t as onerous now that it’s expiring.
If Ball remains on the roster and his recovery continues to progress as hoped, it’s possible we’ll see him in a Bulls uniform again next season. During his lengthy absence, younger guards like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu have emerged as reliable backcourt contributors in Chicago, but if Ball looks anything like he did before his injury, he’d be worthy of rotation minutes.
Lonzo would have picked up the option sooner, but he had to walk to the building from the car.
Im guessing he moves just fine when picking up his check, like the rest of injured players on Reinsdorf led orgs.
Optimistic that he can be a lead guard off the bench behind ayo and Coby. At this point anything productive from him is a bonus. Rooting for zo, and given our recent history with Drose, bulls fans will really let him hear their support if he can play again.
He probably is never going to play basketball again, just knowing what happens with knees that keep having setbacks
He’ll play well enough to sucker another team once his sweet deal in Chicago ends. Then he’ll play well enough to get his deal, then be hurt again to collect another massive contract while doing nothing for it.
21.4 million times YES …….
I’m coming back next yr to heal ….
not play ……
Who’s gonna get paid more next year; Ball or DLo?
Ball
I would like to see Lonzo come back and have at least a good role player career. It isn’t likely that he will come back up to the level everyone thought was possible for him. It’s been too long since he stopped playing now. The NBA moves on and the potential stars of yesterday frequently never come back to the level they would have had if they hadn’t had injuries like he’s had.
True, hard to see him reaching that previous peak for sure, but there’s still hope for him. Comeback legacies vary immensely. Hope his turns out more a la Shaun Livingston than Greg oden.
Even before injury he was having a good role player career, so thats his ceiling injury-less.
I think the only time you will see this con artist play well again is to sucker another team into a mega deal, then be hurt for it.
Well said, Benjivain.
Are there any insurance guarantees or coverages in the event he doesn’t play? Just out of curiosity
Yes, insurance is covering 80% of his salary until he returns. That only affects ownership’s bottom line though — not Lonzo’s cap hit.
As you would.
Better than Ben
NBA gotta stop with these guaranteed contracts. Dude ain’t played in 2 years and got hurt before that. It sucks, but billions of people working every day and this dude just gets 21 million and ain’t even working. Flame me all you want, but that’s BS.
AWWwwwwww ……
Nope, the Bulls knew the risk when they signed him. That’s why I hae the NFL salary structure for non QBs. If anyone gets hurt on the job they should get paid.
poor baby, so sensitive and jealous. need to find a way to be happy, darling he for sure doesn’t think about you or your pay
This is his last payment. No team going giving him a contract next year and if any do it will be the lowest they can offer.
No team? You forget that the Bulls are all about ‘continuity’…
Lonzo still so injured, he had Lavar do the opt-in for him.
Lavar probably would have opted OUT, thinking there’d be a 5 year, $270M deal out there somewhere (perhaps on another planet).