has been one of the best stories in the NBA this year as he had been sidelined with an injury for multiple years. He fought his way back to get on the court for the Bulls, and now he is staying in Chicago.

There were options out there for the Bulls to trade Ball, but they were able to reach an agreement ahead of the deadline.

“Several trade suitors emerged for Lonzo Ball in recent days, but he and the Bulls have now reached a deal that keeps him in Chicago through 2026-27,” Shams Charania said. “After a two years away from the game, Ball has made a successful, productive return this season.”

Ball has been in the NBA since 2017, and he started his career with the Los Angeles Lakers after playing college basketball at UCLA. After two seasons, he went to the New Orleans Pelicans, and then he came to the Bulls in 2021. Because of his injury, Ball missed the entire 2022-23 season and the entire 2023-24 season. He made his return at the start of this year and has slowly been able to increase his minutes as he gets more comfortable.

So far this season, Ball is averaging 7.2 points per game in 21.6 minutes per game. He has started in nine games this year.

A lot of people thought that the Bulls were going to move on from Lonzo Ball and maybe go into tank mode for a better draft pick. They still could make some more moves before the deadline, but Ball isn’t going anywhere.