David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
A new report has revealed the Chicago Bulls’ plan for the point guard spot in the 2024-25 season and it may surprise many fans.
This summer has been more about subtraction than addition for the Bulls. They unfortunately lost DeMar DeRozan in free agency. They traded away Alex Caruso — a popular player among Chicago fans. And they have been linked to rumors about working hard to move Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.
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However, as the team gets closer to training camp in September, the point guard spot will be a major story once again. With former lottery pick Lonzo Ball leading the offense in 2021-22, Chicago was one of the surprise teams in the league and a force. However, once he went down with a knee injury he could never recover from, the Bulls spiraled over the next two and a half seasons.
They never properly replaced Ball due to hopes that he would eventually return. Well, after not playing in a game since early in 2022, the 26-year-old may finally return this season.
“The Bulls confirmed that Ball has started playing in full-contact 5-on-5 scrimmages — as he was scheduled to do once August arrived — and, according to one source, has done so with no setbacks,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported this week.
While Ball seems to be nearing a return to game action, the gifted point guard is not expected to retake his role as the leader of the starter unit.
In the trade for Caruso, the Chicago Bulls acquired 2021 lottery pick Josh Giddey. And the Sun-Times claims the versatile swingman is expected to be their lead ball-handler in the new season, not Ball.
“A team source reiterated that the Bulls were all in on Giddey as the primary ball handler from the moment they acquired him in the Alex Caruso trade with the Thunder,” the outlet reported. “They view him as Lonzo Ball-light. A point guard with positional height to not only rebound but also to attack the opposing defense with his ability to get the ball quickly up the floor by keeping his own dribble or delivering uncanny outlet passes.”
It will be interesting to see how things playout if Ball shows he has returned to the form that made the Bulls a top-six team in the East three seasons ago.
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