(670 The Score) Now on his third team in his fifth NBA season, guard Lonzo Ball had a straightforward reason for why he wanted to join the Bulls in free agency.
“They were the team that stood out that really wanted me for me,” Ball said on a Zoom call Friday afternoon. “At the end of the day, I want to go somewhere where I’m appreciated and I can play my game. And I think that Chicago is the perfect place for that.”
Ball, 23, officially joined the Bulls via the team’s sign-and-trade transaction with the Pelicans, for whom he played the last two seasons. Ball signed a new four-year, $85-million deal that makes him a foundational piece for the years to come in Chicago after the Arturas Karnisovas-Marc Evesley regime hit the gas this offseason in its attempt to lead the Bulls back to relevancy and the playoffs.
The Lakers originally selected Ball at No. 2 overall in the 2017 draft before trading him to the Pelicans in 2019 in the deal that sent star Anthony Davis to Los Angeles. Ball’s role evolved in New Orleans, where he became more of a 3-and-D player last season, hitting 37.8% of his 3-pointers on high volume while averaging 14.6 points and 5.7 assists.
Some across the NBA were perplexed the Pelicans let Ball leave given that they had some leverage in restricted free agency, they had cap flexibility and he was a fit alongside star Zion Williamson. Ball on Friday didn’t provide a direct reason into what the Pelicans’ line of thinking was, but his desire was certainly a big part of how everything played out. Chicago is where he wanted to be.
“The way I live my life, I think everything happens for a reason,” Ball said. “Everything plays out how it’s supposed to play out. I think at this point in my life, it was time for me to be a Chicago Bull. I’m happy to be in Chicago.”
In many ways, Ball will continue to be asked in Chicago to do what he did in New Orleans. The Bulls will rely on Ball to push the pace for a team that slowed down after acquiring All-Star center Nikola Vucevic last March. In the half-court, he’ll likely play off the ball quite a bit with the offense primarily running through All-Star guard Zach LaVine, newly acquired wing DeMar DeRozan and Vucevic. With his premier passing skills and vision, what Ball can help do is grease the wheels of a half-court offense that too often bogged down as the Bulls went 31-41 last season.
“Come in and do what I’ve been doing my whole life,” Ball said of his mindset. “Playing point guard, leading the team, getting things going on the defensive end for sure – picking up the ball, just playing with energy and creating a good atmosphere that everybody wants to be a part of and just building chemistry together as a unit to win basketball games. That’s what I’m trying to come in there and do. Throw all the pieces together and move as one.”
Ball added he’s happy to fit into any role, pointing to how the transition from being a more ball-dominant guard to playing off the ball in the half-court in New Orleans went smoothly.
“I didn’t take it as a demotion,” Ball said of that change by the Pelicans. “Like I said, they believed that was the best for the team. So I just went with it. I’m not the type of guy that’s going to pout or go hide in the corner. I’m going to do what’s asked of me the best I can. I think I did that. I think it ultimately did help me grow as a player. It was a new position for me pretty much, and I think I did a pretty good job.”
And as for what the Bulls can accomplish this upcoming season?
“I don’t want to put any limitations on it,” Ball said. “I think the sky is the limit. I think we have a lot of different pieces. We just gotta take it one game at a time, one day at a time. Mold as a unit and go from there. I don’t want to put any boundaries. I just want to go there and play, have fun and win games.”
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.