"He swerved bent that corner" - NBA fans shocked as Lonzo Ball signs $20,000,000 extension with Bulls ending trade speculation

After reports surfaced that the Chicago Bulls were shopping Lonzo Ball, the team made a surprising move by instead extending the guard, who has returned from a lengthy injury layoff and is having a strong season, catching fans off guard.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday night that Ball and the Bulls agreed to a two-year, $20 million extension.

“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. After a two years away from the game, Ball has made a successful, productive return this season,” Charania said on X (formerly Twitter).

Fans were stunned by the announcement, with many referencing LiAngelo Ball’s hit song “Tweaker” while congratulating Lonzo.

“He swerved bent that corner!” one said.

“Lonzo & Gelo made like $33 million in the past month,” another said.

“Bro came back on the final year of his desk and his agent pulled off another heist,” another commented.

Meanwhile, some questioned the Bulls' direction, noting that trading Zach LaVine suggested they were headed for a rebuild.

“WHY DO THEY F**KING NEED HIM THEY’RE TANKING?????” one commented.

“I thought Lonzo’s gonna get traded. Wow what are the Bulls doing?” another said.

“Wow. Good for Lonzo but very surprised by this. Seemed more likely to be bought out than extended,” another added.

Lonzo Ball thriving in bench role for Bulls

Lonzo Ball has embraced a bench role for the Chicago Bulls, who have Josh Giddey starting at point guard.

Despite averaging career lows of 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists after missing the last two seasons, Ball has been a solid backup for Chicago.

Though playing just 21.6 minutes per game, his per-36-minute averages translate to 13.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists, proving his impact off the bench.

His comeback has been remarkable, given the career-threatening injuries he endured. His struggles began with a torn meniscus, forcing him to miss part of the 2021-22 season.

He later had an arthroscopic debridement to remove lingering debris. In March 2023, Ball underwent a groundbreaking cartilage transplant to replace the damaged meniscus.