Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman is not standing pat this offseason.
The Cavs struck an agreement June 28 to trade small forward Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for point guard Lonzo Ball, an NBA source confirmed for the Beacon Journal.
The move comes less than a year after the Cavs gave Okoro a three-year, $33 million contract extension in September 2024.
Ball could provide the Cavs with a significant boost if he can stay healthy after being plagued by injuries. The acquisition of Ball could signal the Cavs expect to lose backup point guard Ty Jerome in free agency. Reserve shooting guard Sam Merrill also is an unrestricted free agent, but a league source confirmed the Cavs reached an agreement June 28 for Merrill to re-sign with the team.
NBA trades and free-agent signings cannot become official until July 6.
Isaac Okoro stats
Okoro, 24, spent the past five seasons with the Cavs after they drafted him fifth overall out of Auburn in 2020.
Okoro’s career averages are 8.1 points on 46.7% shooting from the floor (35.1% on 3-pointers), 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Last season, he averaged 6.1 points on 46.4% shooting from the field (37.1% on 3s), 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
A part-time starter with the Cavs, Okoro is known for his standout perimeter defense, but he has yet to develop an outside shot opponents consistently respect. It’s the main reason Okoro’s role diminished during the most recent playoffs, when the Cavs were eliminated 4-1 by the eventual NBA finalist Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Okoro’s average minutes decreased from 19.1 in the regular season to 14.2 in the playoffs.
Lonzo Ball stats
Through the six NBA seasons in which Ball has played, his career averages are 11.4 points on 39.8% shooting from the field (36.2% on 3-pointers), 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals.
Due to injuries, Ball has not played in more than 35 games in any of the past four seasons. He played 35 games last season and 35 in 2021-22. He did not play in either the 2022-23 or 2023-24 seasons because of injury.
Last season, Ball averaged 7.6 points on 36.6% shooting from the field (34.4% on 3-pointers), 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals.
Ball has started 253 of the 287 regular-season NBA games in which he has appeared (he has never played in the postseason). The Cavs have All-Star Darius Garland as their starting point guard, though he could miss the beginning of the coming season after undergoing surgery on his left big toe June 9.
Lonzo Ball’s injuries
Ball has a long history of knee issues. After undergoing several procedures, he had a meniscus and cartilage transplant in his left knee in March 2023.
Ball last played on Feb. 28. He missed the remainder of the 2024-25 Bulls season with a right wrist sprain.
Was Lonzo Ball drafted?
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Ball second overall in 2017 out of UCLA. Ball has played two seasons with the Lakers, two with the New Orleans Pelicans and two with the Bulls.
Lonzo Ball’s age
Ball is 27 years old. He’ll turn 28 on Oct. 27.
Lonzo Ball’s height
Ball is 6 feet, 6 inches and 190 pounds.
Lonzo Ball’s contract
Ball has a two-year contract he signed with the Bulls worth $20 million, but it includes a club option for the 2026-27 season. He’s scheduled to make $10 million in each of the next two seasons. For the sake of comparison, Okoro is set to make $11 million in the 2025-26 season and $11.8 million the following season.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers trade for Lonzo Ball, sending Isaac Okoro to Bulls
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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