Cleveland Cavaliers offseason pickup named x-factor for 2025 season

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls struck a deal to bring Lonzo Ball to the organization back in late June.

The 27 year-old guard is now onto his fourth team in eight seasons since joining the NBA. The trade, which swapped Ball and small forward Isaac Okoro, signaled a new direction the Cavaliers intended to go in 2025.

With Ball now on the roster, the team has a starting-caliber guard who will come off the bench and light a spark on both ends of the court. As long as he can stay healthy, he will be able to provide Cleveland with a significant boost in production off the bench with lockdown defense, playmaking and three-point shooting.

Due to the Cavaliers suffering major setbacks with injuries to Max Strus and Darius Garland, and the team letting guard Ty Jerome leave in free agency, the front office will look to Ball to be the spark plug the team needs in the upcoming season.

Ball has played in six seasons of the NBA, being injured for two others, with career averages of 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals.

Those numbers not only show his ability to be versatile and fill a number of roles, but also his consistency. Being able to grab boards and dish the rock on a nightly basis is something that will be important for the Cavaliers, with or without Garland healthy.

Ball's shooting marks come in at 39.8% from the field and 36.2% from beyond the arc, signaling his offense can be effective from just about anywhere.

For a team that lacked that type of balanced production off the bench, and only got scoring from Jerome, Ball's court presence will be something unseen from Cavaliers fans in recent years.

"Lonzo (Ball) is really going to help us. He gives us more size and defense in the backcourt, and his passing will be so great for all of our guys," a member of the Cavaliers front office told reporter Keith Smith in the 2025 offseason.

Not only are the Cavaliers themselves excited for what's to come, but Ball is himself.

“Just playing, competing for a ring. I feel like that should be the goal, I feel like that is the goal,” Ball said over the summer. “So, happy to get over there and get started. To meet everybody, get familiar with everything, and take it as far as we can.“

The only question: can he stay healthy?

Due to injuries, Ball has been sidelined a number of times over the last four seasons. He played just 35 games in the 2021-22 season, none in either the 2022-23 or 2023-24 campaigns, and just 35 last year.

While that may come as a concern for most, it is obvious Cleveland is not worried ever since the several knee procedures he endured. He had a meniscus and cartilage transplant on his left knee in 2023, the last documented major scare.

This season, Ball will more than likely not start for Cleveland. He may get a couple games here and there with Garland being out, but it will be nothing like the heavy starting roles he played with the Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers.

This should hopefully keep Ball's legs healthy and ready to go for when they are needed the most.

Cleveland has been eager to bring size into the backcourt and provide a real point guard to the lineup when Garland is out, and Ball can be that guy. When the season winds down and players need rest, Ball on his limited minutes off the bench can start to take up more playing time.

If the Cavaliers follow recent history and make a run in the NBA Playoffs, maybe, just maybe, Lonzo Ball can serve that Alex Caruso-type role and guide the team to hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy.

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