The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Lonzo Ball in a trade with the Chicago Bulls. The move appears to be well-received by Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell is entering his fourth season with the organization. He shared an altered image of himself and Ball in Cavaliers uniforms to his Instagram story, adding four fireball emojis to express his excitement about the pairing.
In a fitting response, Ball posted, “It’s up” while sharing the post to his IG story.
Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 34.4% from beyond the arc with the Bulls in 2024-25. The counting stats were all career-low marks, while his three-point efficiency was his third-worst.
The Cavaliers sent Isaac Okoro to the Bulls in the trade for Ball, which is part of a series of events pointing to the potential exit of Ty Jerome in free agency.
Ball is starting a two-year, $20 million contract with a team option for the 2026-27 season.
Cavaliers Taking Big Risk With Lonzo Ball Trade
GettyLonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during a preseason game.
Ball, 27, has battled injuries throughout his career. That includes missing the entire 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, recovering from a knee issue that required three surgeries.
His most recent one was a ligament transplant from a donor.
He appeared in 35 games in 2024-25. He was hindered by a restriction on his playing time in his first year back and by a wrist injury. Ball has appeared in at least 60 games in a single season once in his eight-year career, something the Cavaliers must be mindful of following the trade.
“It’s just a blessing, man, to be honest. A lot of people wrote me off, for good reason. A lot of people didn’t think I would be here right now, still hooping. But the people around me did. I felt it,” Ball told Heavy Sports in an exclusive interview in March. “The journey made me stronger. Got to dive into myself a little bit more away from hoop with the time off, and I just felt like I came out of it a better man. And just overall, just full of happiness, man. Just to be able to play again and be out there and do the things I love to do.”
Ball joins a Cavaliers talented backcourt with the trade. It features Mitchell and Darius Garland, both of whom have had their own injury issues to navigate, albeit on a far lesser scale.
The trade for Ball and the Cavaliers’ other moves have left them in a precarious spot.
Cavaliers Rookie Could Be Called Upon Early
GettyTyrese Proctor #5 of the Duke Blue Devils looks on during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Baylor Bears.
The Cavaliers’ personnel losses and injury concerns about players like Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and, after the trade, Ball have put rookie second-round pick Tyrese Proctor in an interesting spot.
“Proctor is a tall combo guard with great passing vision that was expected to go one-and-done, but has taken until his junior year to look ready for the NBA,” Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor wrote in a pre-draft profile on June 12. “At this point, he’s sharpened his jumper and become an even better defender.”
Ball carried similar questions during the pre-draft process in 2017, when the Cavaliers’ trade pick-up was the No. 2 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers.
That could make him a fine mentor for his rookie teammate.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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