Full details of Lonzo Ball trade have been finalized after latest draft pick

The New Orleans Pelicans have not altered their roster significantly since the 2021-22 season when they sent Lonzo Ball to Chicago, traded Steven Adams for Jonas Valanciunas, and acquired C.J. McCollum at the deadline. The Pels have not won a playoff series since, and David Griffin promised to make changes (subscription required) this offseason.

Many believed New Orleans would trade Brandon Ingram, but Griffin’s latest comments have fans questioning that theory. The Pelicans want to shake things up but must find the right moves. They hope to build a title contender around Zion. It won’t be easy, but Griffin has assets to move.

The Pels completed their sign-and-trade that sent Lonzo to Chicago in the 2024 NBA Draft. Here is a look at the details.

Pelicans 2nd round draft pick completes Lonzo Ball trade with Bulls

Zion had a breakout second NBA season as he averaged 27.0 points per game and made his first All-Star appearance. New Orleans won just 31 games and knew they had to improve their roster around him. It took multiple moves, including this trade.

Pelicans receive

Tomas Satoransky
Garrett Temple
Adem Bona

Bulls receive

Lonzo Ball

New Orleans was happy to get anything as Ball moved on. Satoransky played just 32 games in the Big Easy and was mostly disastrous before being traded to Portland in the McCollum trade. Temple lasted two seasons with the Pelicans, including helping them get back to the playoffs in 2022.

Lonzo played just 35 games in three seasons with the Bulls. He has not appeared in an NBA game since January of 2022 after multiple knee injuries. Ball hopes to return for the 2024-25 season, but there are no guarantees.

New Orleans did not keep the 41st overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The pick bounced around to multiple teams before ending up in Philadelphia where the Sixers selected Adem Bona. Most second-rounders struggle to develop into key rotation pieces and this selection could be no different.

The Bulls have paid Ball $58.6 million for 35 games so far, and fans should not expect much after he missed two full seasons. This deal looks disapointing for both sides. Ball never stayed healthy, and the Pels did not get much in return for their starting point guard.

The New Orleans Pelicans have plenty of work to do this offseason. Do they make a blockbuster trade or just settle for small moves in hopes of improving their roster? Time will tell, but things are looking up as the final details of the Lonzo Ball sign-and-trade emerge.