Lonzo Ball Facing Potential Change After Cavaliers Announce Unfortunate News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt John | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 4:41 PM ET

After getting the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers fell well short of expectations in the postseason again. This offseason, they acquired Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls to rectify their flaws.

Ball has shown his talent, but has also proven very injury-prone over the last few years. The 2024-25 season marked his first NBA action since the 2021-22 season, when he struggled with knee issues that kept him on the sidelines. Even though he played in 35 games, Ball last played on February 28, after which he was held out because of a right wrist injury.

In the 35 games he played for the Bulls this past season, Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 36.6% from the field and 34.4% from three. His trade to the Cavaliers also reunites him with former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Larry Nance Jr.

Max Strus Injury Opens Up Opportunity for Lonzo Ball

Ball may actually start off his Cavaliers tenure with a bigger role than many thought. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Max Strus underwent surgery to repair a recent injury that will have him miss a substantial mount of time, opening the door for Ball to take his spot in the starting lineup.

"Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus underwent surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot sustained during recent offseason workout and will miss approximately 3 to 4 months," Charania wrote.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus underwent surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot sustained during recent offseason workout and will miss approximately 3 to 4 months.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2025

Following this announcement, Ball's name came up among fans as Strus' replacement until he returns. Ball is certainly not a replacement for what Strus does on the floor, but it does make some sense.

Strus's bread and butter is his three-point shooting abilities as a wing. Ball is not as good as Strus is in that regard, but when he's healthy, he's a jack-of-all-trades, oversized point guard that can do a little bit of everything when he's on the floor. Ball would replace Strus primarily with his height, as the two are almost the same size.

Ball also isn't too shabby of a three-point shooter overall. He's a career 36.2% shooter from distance, which is not too far off compared to Strus' career three-point percentage, as he has shot 36.8% from three.

This could also be a golden opportunity for Ball to re-establish himself after all that's happened to him. With the Cavaliers, he was already going to get that opportunity regardless, but now he could get an even bigger one to showcase what he can still do.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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