NBA Trade Rumors: Former All-Star caliber point guard may be on the move again

NBA Trade Rumors: A former All-Star caliber point guard could be on the move again, looking forward to a fresh start.

Even though the Chicago Bulls have been an afterthought in the Eastern Conference over the past couple of seasons, there is one story worth keeping a close eye on as the season continues to unravel. And it revolves around the return of Lonzo Ball. After missing the last two seasons with a knee injury, Ball has managed to slowly work his way back onto the court for the Bulls. He's played in just five games this season but he's missed the majority of this season because of a wrist injury and not necessarily because of load management.

As he continues to work his way back to 100 percent, if that is even still attainable after his knee issues, it does appear that his time with the Bulls is coming to an end. According to recent reporting, the Bulls are open to discussing a trade of Ball. Whether there will be any takers remains to be seen but the Bulls are open to the idea of it.

Lonzo Ball's future in the NBA may be complicated

To be perfectly honest, Ball's future in the NBA could be complicated. Depending on how the rest of the season unfolds, there's no guarantee that there will be plenty of interest in Ball as he prepares to hit the free-agency market during the offseason. Ball is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. That's part of what makes him a potential trade deadline candidate even though he's yet to prove that he can remain healthy over the course of a season.

But with his recent injury history, it would be surprising for him to have a robust market in free agency. In fact, there's probably a good chance that Ball will have to sign a "prove-it" deal before he gets another big-money deal in the NBA, if that's even going to happen again. Again, much of that will be dictated by how available Ball is going to be able to be this season.

More than anything, this year for Ball is going to be more about availability. He needs to prove that he can remain healthy. Right now, that's the biggest question mark about his game. It's not about scoring or playmaking, but about availability.