Lonzo Ball of the New Orleans Pelicans has been at the center of a number of rumors as the trade deadline approaches.
He has been linked to everyone from the Bulls, to the Knicks to the Clippers, though many pundits believe the New Orleans Pelicans could just keep him.
Both make sense, as Lonzo Ball is playing some of the best basketball of his career, but the Pelicans may feel it will be too costly to re-sign him long term.
More gas was poured on this fire when Sam Amick from the Athletic (SUBSCRIPTION ONLY) reported that Lonzo Ball will seek a deal that will pay him around $20 million per season.
With Brandon Ingram already on a max deal and Zion Williamson lurking, the Pelicans could decide that Lonzo Ball is just too expensive to keep and would then likely move him at the deadline.
There are certainly arguments for both, so let’s break it down, as well as look at some guys in that price range to see if Lonzo Ball is really worth it.
New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball’s fit with Zion Williamson
The biggest question when it comes to any personnel decision for the Pels is whether that player fits with Zion Williamson.
In the case of Lonzo Ball, the answer is yes. Lonzo has proven himself to be the type of 3-point shooter that Zion needs in the half court and Ball is one of the best in the league at creating in the fast break.
Lonzo has evolved into one of the best volume 3-point shooters in the league and should continue to get better. He is also a plus defender on the perimeter, which the Pelicans desperately need, so the answer is yes, he is a fit with Zion, but at what cost?
Let’s take a look at both sides of the argument for paying Lonzo Ball $20 million a season.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels should offer Lonzo Ball a max extension
The argument for re-signing Lonzo Ball to a max deal for around $20 million a season is simple: He is good now, is only 23-years-old and is likely to get even better.
The Pels could get all of his prime years and it may look like a discount if Lonzo continues to improve. If you look at what the 3rd-best players on good teams generally make, $20 million is pretty much the minimum wage.
In fact, when you take a look at some of the guys making at or near $20 million a season, the argument for re-signing Lonzo Ball gets even stronger.
Point guards like Fred VanVleet, Malcolm Brogdon, Terry Rozier, Goran Dragic, and Ricky Rubio all make at or around that salary and are all significantly older than Lonzo Ball with far less upside. Other than Brogdon and maybe VanVleet you could argue that Lonzo Ball is already better than everyone on this list.
Shooting guards like Gary Harris and even Lonzo’s teammate Eric Bledsoe will be right under $20 million, which makes Lonzo Ball’s case even stronger.
Look, $20 million isn’t what it used to be and this is now the minimum wage for guys like Lonzo, who can be the third-best player on a good team and have All-Star potential.
The New Orleans Pelicans are going to need a third star to go along with Zion and Ingram and Lonzo can be that guy.
The question is whether they can afford him to be.
New Orleans Pelicans: Paying Lonzo Ball will create future financial problems
I really don’t think there is a basketball argument against re-signing Lonzo Ball unless you are part of one of the extremist groups who either worship or hate him.
I am not wearing a tin-foil hat, so to me, Lonzo Ball is a perfect piece to put around Zion Williamson.
The argument against it is purely financial, as re-signing Lonzo Ball to a max extension could put a strain on the Pels’ future finances.
They already have $30 million plus tied up in Brandon Ingram for four seasons after this one. Zion Williamson will be due for a massive raise in two more seasons that will likely pay him upwards of $30 million a season as well.
If Lonzo is making $20 million, that is $80 million tied up in three players, which could represent nearly 75 percent of the salary cap, depending on where it is at that point.
It is projected to be around $112 million in 2021-22 and to increase at least three percent each season, but even if it goes up by the max (10 percent), those three contracts would still represent a hefty portion of it.
The Pelicans still have Steven Adams under contract for two more seasons at $17 million per, so would have to fill out the rest of their team on a tight budget. This would mean counting on young players like Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis to produce on their rookie deals, which may not happen.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a tough decision to make, as Lonzo Ball is a guy they would love to keep but it will be difficult if they want to have a deep and competitive bench. Could they find someone cheaper who can do similar things? Possibly.
If Lonzo is still a Pelican after the trade deadline then we know the Pels at least want to take a shot at re-signing him, so stay tuned.