NBA grants Chicago Bulls $10.2 million ‘disabled player exception.’ what does that mean for the team?
It’s been a rough time over the last year for the Bulls and their star but now it seems that they may be able to recoup some of what was lost in the fire.
Regarded as one of the best young talents in the league, the Bulls star was meant to set the league alight. Unfortunately, that never happened due to a serious knee injury and several knee operations that didn’t fix the problem. With his career now in the balance, the team has had to look for solutions.
NBA to give Chicago Bulls $10.2 million exception
According to reports, the NBA has granted the Chicago Bulls a $10.2 million disabled player exception for guard Lonzo Ball. To be clear, the Bulls had previously applied for the exception after it was announced that Ball would miss the entire 2023-24 season due to an ongoing knee injury that has kept him off the court for the last 18 months. Indeed, Ball has seen three operations since he tore the meniscus in his left knee back on January 14th, 2022, and was even the focus of recent reports which indicated he may never play again. While it remains uncertain as to if/when Ball will return, what is clear is that the Bulls can now take steps toward filling the void that his absence has created.
What will the Chicago Bulls do?
Though there has been no official word from the franchise as to how they intend to move forward, it’s clear that the extra money will allow them to improve. They could in theory trade for a player in the final year of their contract, sign a player to a one-year deal, or claim one who has been waived. That exception could be used either this summer or during the season. Again the Bulls have not indicated who they will look to acquire, but that they have the exception will undoubtedly go a long way toward helping the team build a better roster. Of course, it might be tempting to wait until the trade deadline to see what kind of players are out there, but it could be complicated.
Truth be told, there is no movement at the moment in the free agency market with the likes of Damian Lillard and James Harden creating some rather problematic scenarios. With that in mind, the more beneficial option for Chicago could be to simply wait and see, as they could well find a means to involve themselves in the mix for one of the aforementioned stars via a multi-team trade.
The Chicago Bulls have some problems
Ultimately, it’s worth noting that while the exception will give the Bulls a boost, it’s not going to plug every hole. This is a team that missed the playoffs last season and though they did rectify some of their backcourt issues with the acquisition of Jevon Carter, it’s safe to say that there are still major issues that persist. For starters, the Bulls were blatantly poor when it came to shooting last season, evidenced by the fact that they ranked last in 3-point attempts. For a team that can still boast two great players in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, that’s simply not good enough. Keep an eye on the Bulls this summer.