Lonzo Ball Trade Rumors: Bulls Not 'Eager' to Make Deal; Interested in New Contract

The Chicago Bulls "have not been eager" to trade Lonzo Ball despite outside interest, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Stein also reported the team is open to re-signing Ball, who's in the last year of his $80 million contract.

The Bulls will still have options ahead of the deadline, with the Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves among teams interested in Ball, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Teams will also monitor the buyout market in case Ball becomes available.

The 27-year-old's comeback has been staggering. There was a point when it looked like his career might be in jeopardy as he battled persistent knee injuries that caused him to miss two full seasons.

Ball is not only playing again but also performing at a level pretty close to where he was before the injuries, albeit in a lesser role. The 6'6" guard is averaging 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals.

As a result of his resurgence, the Bulls have a possible trade asset if they want to use it. A lot of playoff contenders could benefit from Ball's two-way skill set, and his $21.4 million salary isn't much of a hindrance to any deal.

In the wake of the Zach LaVine trade, it's a little surprising that Chicago would want to keep Ball though the deadline and potentially extend his stay in the Windy City.

The Bulls aren't going anywhere in the short term. They're 21-29 and just lost their best player. In addition, they're incentivized to bottom out because of the protections on their 2025 first-round pick, which can end up in the San Antonio Spurs' hands.

Chicago's front office might as well take what it can get for Ball now.

Re-signing him would be equally puzzling because he no longer fits with the franchise's current timeline. And if the idea is tying him down for multiple years so that his trade value increases, then there's the risk that he suffers another knee injury down the road.

The Bulls waited too long to move on from both LaVine and DeMar DeRozan and got lackluster returns as a result. While the opportunity cost with Ball isn't as high as it was with those two, general manager Marc Eversley and executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas might be repeating the same mistake.