Report: Bulls apply for $10.2 million DPE due to Lonzo Ball injury
The Chicago Bulls have applied for the Disabled Player Exception, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. With Lonzo Ball set to miss the entirety of the 2023-24 season, the value of Chicago’s DPE would be $10.2 million, opening up some potential free agency and trade opportunities for the Bulls.
For a Chicago team looking to push forward and compete for a playoff spot heading into next season, this exception would be extremely valuable. It would open up a ton of doors for them, allowing them to add talent in an attempt to replace Ball, who was a crucial part of the team’s hot start in the 2021-22 season.
The DPE can be used to sign players, accept players via trade (like a Traded Player Exception, or TPE), or claim a player off waivers, as explained by Keith Smith of Spotrac.
“The DPE is unique in that it can be used to sign a player, trade for a player or to claim a player off waivers. However, there are restrictions with the DPE that do not exist for the other exceptions,” Smith wrote.
The restrictions on a DPE are that the contract can only be for the remainder of the season (or in the Bulls’ case, a one-year deal for the 2023-24 season), and it can only be used to sign or trade for a single player.
With NBA free agency still ongoing, if the Bulls were to be granted the exception, it could allow them to sign a higher-tier player than they would have been previously able to target.
