Report: Lakers now favorites to land Lonzo Ball in a potential trade

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly are the favorites to land Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball in the trade market, according to Bovada.

• Los Angeles Lakers +550
• Orlando Magic +700
• Phoenix Suns +800
• Brooklyn Nets +1000
• Miami Heat +1200
• Charlotte Hornets +1400
• Atlanta Hawks +1600

Ball was picked by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but he only spent two seasons with the franchise before he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in the deal that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.

After missing the last two seasons (the 2022-23 campaign and the 2023-24 campaign) due to injury, Ball has returned to the Bulls’ rotation in the 2024-25 season. He’s playing 17.0 minutes per game (across nine games) and is averaging 5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 37.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from 3-point range.

Ball is in the final season of his contract for the Bulls, which was a four-year deal that he signed prior to the 2021-22 season. Due to injury, Ball has appeared in just 44 total games for the Bulls.

Chicago seems to be looking to enter a rebuilding phase, as it moved DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs in the offseason.

Since Ball is entering the last season of his deal and has not been healthy for most of his Chicago tenure, it makes sense that the Bulls would want to move on from him if they can get anything for him in the trade market.

The Lakers could be in the market for help at the point guard position, especially if they deem Ball as an upgrade over either D’Angelo Russell or Gabe Vincent. Russell is in the final season of his contract while Vincent has struggled with the Lakers since signing a three-year deal prior to last season.

This season, Vincent is averaging just 3.9 points per game while shooting 34.5 percent from the field and 27.9 percent from 3.

The Lakers currently hold the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference with a 14-12 record. Los Angeles has dropped six of its last 10 games, and it may need a deal to spark a run to get the team back into contention for a top-six seed in the West.