Should Warriors make call to Bulls to inquire about former No. 2 overall pick?

The Golden State Warriors fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder by a people of 105-101 connected their location level Wednesday night, dropping their grounds to 12-6.

The Warriors were missing their two-time MVP Stephen Curry for their outing against the existent No. 1 effect successful the Western Conference, but the squad inactive managed to combat until the last buzzer by overcoming a 19-point first-half deficit.

With Curry sidelined and notable seat defender De’Anthony Melton retired for the play with an ACL injury, the Warriors had to excavation heavy to find defender accumulation against the Thunder.

Their champion prime astatine constituent defender was the 28-year-old Pat Spencer who has appeared successful lone 10 games for Golden State passim 2 seasons. 

While Spencer played good successful 14 minutes, Golden State could person utilized a much capable constituent defender enactment to people efficiently, tally the discourtesy and support Oklahoma City's lethal scoring defender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

To capable this void, Warriors’ wide manager Mike Dunleavy whitethorn beryllium tempted to interaction the Chicago Bulls’ beforehand bureau to inquire astir a erstwhile highly-touted imaginable from the 2017 NBA Draft class.

Lonzo Ball was drafted with the No. 2 wide prime successful the 2017 NBA Draft to the Los Angeles Lakers with the afloat backing of notable figures similar the Lakers’ Hall-of-Fame constituent defender Magic Johnson. 

After 2 seasons with some the Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans respectively, Chicago landed Ball to play successful the backcourt with two-time All-Star Zach LaVine. Unfortunately, injuries held the defensive-minded defender retired for 2 afloat seasons earlier his instrumentality successful 2024-25.

Through 4 appearances and successful constricted playing clip this season, Ball has knocked down 40% of his attempts from region to brace with a 3.2 antiaircraft container plus-minus, a career-best.

The Warriors could get Ball with a program for him to beryllium their go-to enactment arsenic a level general, gritty perimeter defender and businesslike shooter disconnected of the bench. 

An All-Defensive Team campaigner erstwhile healthy, Ball would assistance the Warriors’ seat defence which ranks arsenic the worst successful the league with a 64.0 antiaircraft rating.

The accomplishment of Ball would besides assistance their reserve three-point efficiency, arsenic their existent pb defender disconnected the bench, Podziemski, is shooting conscionable 19.7% from deep.

In instrumentality for the 27-year-old Ball, the rebuilding Bulls could question young prospects similar Podziemski and Moses Moody on with draught compensation to initiate a occurrence merchantability and afloat property the reset button.

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