NBA News Roundup, Sunday, April 14th: Lonzo Ball's Chicago Trade, Luke Walton to Sacramento, and more
After the completion of the regular season earlier this week, the playoffs got off to an exciting start last night. The Nets were among the teams able to pull off first-game upsets, and there is no shortage of other stories emerging from around the NBA. So, here are all the news and rumors you need to know for April 14th.
Chicago Bulls held trade discussions for Lonzo Ball
Upon being drafted second overall in the 2017 draft, Magic Johnson labeled Lonzo Ball as the future of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Ball's role on the team has been called into question ever since LeBron James arrived last summer, and the 21-year-old was among the players included in trade talks for Anthony Davis.
Joe Cowley of the Los Angeles Times is also reporting that the Lakers entered into talks with the Chicago Bulls over Ball's potential availability, and Cowley believes that the team could return for the point guard this summer:
According to one NBA executive, the Bulls and Lakers had initial conversations about point guard Lonzo Ball shortly after Ball’s camp made it public that Chicago would be one of his desired destinations if the Lakers were to move him.
Could the No. 4 pick and a package with Dunn be enough to pry Ball loose? He’d be the perfect fit for what the Bulls are looking for, with an ability to push the ball and make plays, in addition to solid defense; he finished this season seventh among NBA point guards in defensive RPM.
Ball showed improvement in his second season in the NBA, although he once again struggled with injuries. He finished the season averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game.