Report: Cavaliers Pull Off Trade for Bulls’ Lonzo Ball

It's a major shake-up to the Cavaliers' rotation, as Okoro had been a mainstay on the wing for Cleveland since being drafted fifth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. However, had finished last season posting his lowest minutes total and counting stats throughout his career there, and now finds his way to Chicago after 334 games and five years in Cleveland.

On the other hand, the Bulls land an intriguing backup option to their point guard option in the form of Ball, the second-overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, who returned to the floor for the first time in two years last season after suffering from his devastating leg injury that left him out of the action since January of 2021.

During his last season in Chicago, Ball played in 35 games to average 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in just over 22 minutes a night. His efficiency did see a bit of a drop-off as he had shot 36.6% from the field, and 34.4% from three–– good for a true shooting percentage of 52.4%.

However, when healthy and in the lineup, Ball can be one of the most versatile two-way point guards in the league, and should enter as a strong backup option in Cleveland to Darius Garland, and perhaps a fill-in early in the year, should Garland miss any time with his toe injury.

Naturally, the next question for the Cavaliers following this move centers upon what the future may hold for each of Sam Merrill and Ty Jerome, who both enter the free agency market later next week. Ball's addition into the backcourt could now lead to one or both having a larger chance of departing from Cleveland, especially when factoring in his $10 million contract now being a part on the books for their 2025-26 campaign.

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