Details On Trade That Sends Lonzo Ball To Cavs, Isaac Okoro To Bulls

The Cavaliers are making a move at point guard and making a bit of a gamble.

Cleveland has acquired guard Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for forward Isaac Okoro, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania. The deal, while not blockbuster material on the surface, marks a fresh start for two former top-five picks looking to regain traction in their careers.

Ball, 26, hasn’t played a full NBA season since 2021 due to multiple knee surgeries, including a rare cartilage transplant procedure. He missed all of the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons before returning to limited action last year. In 31 games, Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals — well below his career marks, but enough to warrant interest.

The Bulls signed Ball to a two-year, $20 million extension in February, signaling some belief in his comeback. He is owed $10 million this upcoming season, with a team option for 2026.

For the Cavaliers, Ball provides defensive versatility, vision and spot-up shooting — if healthy. It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward swing for Cleveland, which may be hedging its bets amid uncertainty around free agent guard Ty Jerome.

Meanwhile, Chicago gets a fresh look at Okoro, the former No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft. Okoro, 23, saw his role shrink under new Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson. He averaged just 6.1 points in 19.1 minutes during the regular season, and only 4.6 points in 14.2 minutes per game during the playoffs.

Still, the Bulls view Okoro as a two-way wing with room to grow. He enters Year 2 of a three-year, $33 million contract that pays $11 million this season and $11.8 million guaranteed in 2026.

Bottom line: The Cavaliers are banking on Ball’s bounce-back, and the Bulls are hoping a change of scenery helps unlock Okoro. Both sides are rolling the dice. Now it’s a matter of who hits.

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