After falling short in the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year, the Cleveland Cavaliers may be ready to shake up their roster.
Cleveland mostly stayed quiet last offseason, sticking with its “Core Four” and avoiding major changes. They did acquire De’Andre Hunter at the trade deadline in February, but more significant moves could be on the horizon.
Although landing a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo remains a long shot, there are other feasible trade options, and Caleb Crowley of King James Gospel has pointed to one name in particular: Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls.
“Ball is among the best offensive facilitators available who isn’t an All-Star,” Crowley wrote. “He takes care of the ball well and boasts a high basketball IQ. But his real value lies in his defense. At 6’6″, Ball is an elite perimeter defender—something Cleveland’s backcourt badly needs. Adding a big, defensive-minded guard could help offset the weaknesses of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.”
However, Ball’s lengthy injury history is a major concern. He missed two full seasons (2022-23 and 2023-24) with chronic knee issues and appeared in only 35 games this past year.
When healthy, Ball has proven to be a strong all-around contributor who can impact winning without dominating the stat sheet. Still, questions remain about how much he has left to give.
This past season, he averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 22.2 minutes per game, with shooting splits of 36.6% from the field, 34.4% from three, and 81.5% from the line. While those numbers aren’t eye-catching, his impressive +9.7 net rating suggests he could still provide meaningful help to a contender like the Cavaliers.
This article originally appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was republished with permission.
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