Cavaliers trade Lonzo Ball to Utah

      The Cleveland Cavaliers' mid-season revamp continued with the one move that most saw coming.

Cleveland needed to make roster space for Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who had exceeded his usage on a two-way contract after the trade that brought Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cavaliers.

Lonzo Ball was expected to be the replacement for Ty Jerome as the third guard, and with a questionable health record, keeping him on the floor was the concern.

Ball stayed relatively healthy but didn't play well, averaging less than five points per game in thirty-five games

Considering the roster spot and the attempt to continue to get out of the second apron of the salary cap, Ball and his ten-million-dollar cap number were the easiest place to cut.

But who would be willing to take Ball and for what?

The answer was the Utah Jazz, and nothing, as Cleveland literally traded two second-round picks with Ball for nothing but cap relief.

The two second-rounders leave Cleveland without those bargaining chips for years, as Cleveland doesn't have a second rounder until the 2030s, but it was needed to try to move off the apron and make space for a more productive player.

Utah is expected to waive Ball, with Charlotte and Washington expected to have interest in signing him.

Cleveland wanted to keep Tomlin, a young player who is exceeding expectations, and didn't have the time or cap room to nurture Ball and hope he showed improvement.

Not every trade works out, and Cleveland cut their losses before they became too large.

Sometimes, that's the way the ball bounces.

Cavaliers swap Okoro for Ball, re-sign Merrill

     Two days after the conclusion of the NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers made a one-for-one swap that may have given a possible hint towards the remainder of the team's offseason.

The Cavaliers acquired the talented but injury-plagued point guard Lonzo Ball from the division rival Chicago Bulls for former first-round pick Isaac Okoro in what may show the team's concern for the long-term status of the injured Darius Garland and the retention of free agent Ty Jerome. 

Ball, one of the three Ball brothers, was the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers and seemed to be on the verge of being a very good player before missing two seasons with knee problems.

Ball returned to the Bulls last season, playing in thirty-five games, averaging seven points and three assists in twenty-two minutes per game.

The addition of Ball to the roster could allow the Cavaliers to save money and allow Ty Jerome to sign elsewhere rather than re-sign him at a healthy salary increase.

The Cavaliers were trying to get out of their second-tier status on the salary cap, and with Jerome and Sam Merrill both eligible for free agency, the Cavaliers had to do something with Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade to have a hope of reaching the goal of reducing their cap and keep Jerome and/or Merrill.

It looks like the decision has been made to allow Jerome to leave, as Sam Merrill signed a four-year contract to stay in Cleveland as their instant offense off the bench, and with their drafting of Tyrese Proctor and trading for Lonzo Ball, Cleveland doesn't seem to have the cap space (if they truly are making an effort to drop from the second tier) or the playing time for Ty Jerome.

Isaac Okoro averaged six points and two rebounds in fifty-five games last season, all career-lows, and he never was able to develop an outside shot that the team hoped he would after drafting him fifth overall from Auburn in 2020.

Okoro was the high-end defensive player that Cleveland hoped he would be, but his lack of shooting skill made him almost unplayable in the postseason, and I didn't see anything from Okoro that could change that.

Okoro makes slightly more than Ball (eleven to ten million) and the Cavaliers clean up some contract clutter as Okoro is signed for two years, while Ball is signed for just one followed by a friendly team option.

If Lonzo Ball is able to return to even close to his previous form, the Cavaliers could have exactly what they needed at a bargain price, which is a veteran point guard to run the offense while Darius Garland is away and allow Garland not to push his rehab too hard to return to the court, and when Garland does return, Ball is a solid option off the bench.

If Ball cannot get past his injuries, then they still moved on from Isaac Okoro, which is something, and the Cavaliers can look for a similar player next off-season.

I think it's worth the risk.