It was a nice vacation spot in a remote part of Fiji.
And that’s also why Lonzo Ball was the last to know.
On the day of June 28, news broke that Ball was headed to Cleveland for Isaac Okoro, ending his stay with the Bulls. Problem is Fiji is 17 hours ahead, so Ball was fast asleep.
When he woke up and saw his phone, he knew.
But honestly, Ball knew back to last February, when he signed a two-year, $20 million extension to stay a Bull. A team-friendly deal for his current franchise, but also one that he knew would be team friendly in a trade.
“I woke up and my phone was just … I couldn’t even go through it,” Ball said after a second preseason game with his former team on Thursday. “So I called the coaches and thanked everybody and then got up and got on a plane to Cleveland.
“I wasn’t surprised, nah. It was just in the air (with that contract). I loved being in Chicago, whether I was here or not, I was just thankful to be on the court still. But either way it went I would have been happy, quite honestly.”
The way it’s gone couldn’t be better for Ball, however.
He is now part of a Cleveland franchise that finished last season as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, before underachieving with a second-round exit to the Pacers. The Cavs are the prohibitive favorite in the East this season, with the goal being a much deeper run this time around.
That’s what Ball was brought in for. To use the regular season as a long conditioning drill, playing on minutes restrictions and sitting out back-to-backs, and then be up and running at a level in which he can be turned loose come playoff time.
“I kind of knew what I was coming to,” he said of the trade. “(The Cavs) literally have everything you could want in this league, especially with the way our bigs are now, we have modern bigs, so for me it’s just coming in and doing my job and try to push this even further.”
Ideally for Ball, his former Bulls teammates also push their season further, benefiting from adding Okoro in the deal.
That’s how much love he still has for the patience and loyalty the Bulls showed him as he spent almost two-and-a-half years recovering from a devastating left knee surgery.
“I think teams trade to try and get better, so Chicago did what was best for them, and I think Cleveland did what they thought was best for them,” Ball said. “So all I can control is where I’m at and who I’m playing for, and that’s the Cavs right now. Go out there and give them my all.”
And there is a recent precedent of a former Bull changing addresses to a team that needs a final push. Alex Caruso was sent to Oklahoma City before the 2024-25 season, and all he did was help the Thunder win it all.
“I think we’re impactful players in general, me and him,” Ball said. “Caruso did make an impact immediately and that’s what I’m looking to do here.”
But just in case Ball thought he was going to get out of the Thursday preseason game at the United Center without a little emotion, the Bulls did have a first-quarter video tribute to him, and yeah, it tugged at the heart strings a bit.
“Just thankful, man,” Ball added. “I made a lot of good relationships here, on and off the court. Loved the city of Chicago, and as you can see the fans still rock with me, so a lot of love to them. But coaches, man, even my teammates, it’s always great seeing them and hope the best for them moving forward for sure.”