The Chicago Bulls headlined an active 2021 offseason by acquiring free-agent guard Lonzo Ball in a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Ball, 23, was selected second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft, then dealt to the Pelicans in the 2019 Anthony Davis trade. Since then, the 6-foot-6 point guard has blossomed into one of the most exciting young players in the league.
Here is everything you need to know about Ball, his NBA career and his family:
Lonzo Ball NBA stats, career highs with Pelicans
| Season | Team | Min | PTS | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | REB | AST | STL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | Lakers | 34.2 | 10.2 | 36.0% | 30.5% | 45.1% | 6.9 | 7.2 | 1.7 |
| 2018-19 | Lakers | 30.3 | 9.9 | 40.6% | 32.9% | 41.7% | 5.3 | 5.4 | 1.5 |
| 2019-20 | Pelicans | 32.1 | 11.8 | 40.3% | 37.5% | 56.6% | 6.1 | 7.0 | 1.4 |
| 2020-21 | Pelicans | 31.8 | 14.6 | 41.4% | 37.8% | 78.1% | 4.8 | 5.7 | 1.5 |
Ball is coming off of his best season yet in 2020-21, wherein he averaged a career-high 14.6 points while shooting a career-best 37.8 percent from 3-point range.
On May 1, 2021, Ball scored a career-high 33 points as the Pelicans defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 140-136. On March 16, he dished a career-high 17 assists as the Pelicans fell 125-124 to the Portland Trail Blazers. On April 4, he buried a career-high eight 3-pointers as the Pelicans defeated the Houston Rockets 122-115.
NBA
In four NBA seasons, Ball has averaged 11.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He made the NBA All-Rookie second team in 2018.
Bulls acquire Lonzo Ball in a sign-and-trade agreement with New Orleans
On Aug. 2, 2021, the Bulls agreed to acquire Ball in a sign-and-trade transaction with the Pelicans.
Ball signed a four-year, $82 million contract with the Bulls as part of the deal, while the Pelicans acquired Tomáš Satoranský, Garrett Temple and second-round pick.
The NBA announced later that month that it was opening a tampering investigation into the Bulls' sign-and-trade for Ball, and the Miami Heat's sign-and-trade acquisition of former Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry.
The Bulls also pursued a trade for Ball at the 2021 trade deadline, but were unsuccessful. He will be the team's sixth different opening-night point guard since Derrick Rose was traded in 2016.
Ball chose to wear No. 2 with the Bulls. He is the 15th player in franchise history to wear that jersey number.
The evolution of Lonzo Ball’s tattoos to a sleeve featuring MLK, Malcolm X
Ball's left arm sleeve is dedicated to African-American leaders throughout history that he looks up to. Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X and Harriet Tubman all appear on Ball's left arm.
All about the Ball brothers: Lonzo, LaMelo and LiAngelo
Lonzo is the oldest Ball brother. LiAngelo Ball, 22, and LaMelo Ball, 20, are his younger siblings.
The Charlotte Hornets selected LaMelo third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds in his first season, winning 2021 Rookie of the Year honors. In 2017, LaMelo scored 92 points in a game for Chino Hills High School, which Lonzo and LiAngelo also attended. Then, LaMelo played internationally in Lithuania and Australia before entering the NBA Draft.
LiAngelo Ball, a three-star high school recruit, received an offer to play at UCLA, which Lonzo attended. But after being suspended for shoplifting during a trip to China, LiAngelo decided to play in Lithuania. LiAngelo went unselected in the 2018 NBA Draft, but appeared in five games for the Hornets' 2021 Summer League team and recently signed a non-guaranteed contract with the team.
More on Lonzo’s dad LaVar Ball, CEO of Big Baller Brand
LaVar Ball, Lonzo's father, became a popular personality as his sons rose through the basketball ranks.
Early in Lonzo's career, LaVar declared him better than two-time MVP Stephen Curry. He was also known to criticize the Lakers' coaching decisions during Lonzo's tenure in Los Angeles.
LaVar is also the co-founder and CEO of Big Baller Brand, which produces sneakers and other sports apparel. Lonzo had a signature shoe (ZO2) with the company, but in 2019 cut ties and affiliated with Nike.