Cavs deal Isaac Okoro to Bulls for Lonzo Ball

The Cavaliers finally found a taker for swingman Isaac Okoro on Saturday. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls for oft-injured point guard Lonzo Ball, ESPN reported. The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder has missed considerable time in his eight-year career to injuries, including the entire 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Overall, he's played in just 287 of 656 possible games in his career. Ball, 27, missed the Bulls' last 22 games last year with a sprained right wrist. He was the No. 2 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 draft out of UCLA. Ball was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in July 2019 as part of the humongous Anthony Davis deal. He joined Chicago in a sign-and-trade in August 2021. He missed significant time while recovering from three surgeries on his left knee, which makes the deal risky. He appeared in just 35 games for the Bulls last season and averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists, while shooting .366 from the floor and .344 from long distance. In his career, Ball has averaged 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists, while shooting .398 from the field and .362 from 3-point range. With the Cavs, he'll likely come off the bench behind starter Darius Garland and provide insurance if free agent Ty Jerome signs elsewhere. The trade won't be made official until July 6. Okoro, the No. 5 overall pick on the 2020 draft, was on the trading block most of the summer. The 6-5, 215-pounder has not lived up to expectations since entering the NBA and was picked ahead of notable players like Tyrese Haliburton (No. 12 by Sacramento), Aaron Nesmith (14 by Boston) and Tyrese Maxey (21 by Philadelphia), among others. The knock on Okoro has been his lack of offensive skills and most notably his perimeter shooting. He is an outstanding defender, which the Cavs will see at least four times in the regular season when they play Chicago. The Bulls likely envision him trying to lock up Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell, who once scored 71 points against them. Mitchell was situated next to Okoro in the Cleveland locker room. In his five seasons with the Cavs, Okoro averaged 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists, while shooting .467 from the field and .351 from behind the arc. By the end of last season, he fell deeper in Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson's rotation. If Ball stays healthy, this could be an impactful move for Cleveland. He'll earn $10 million in each of the next two seasons, even though there is a team option on his 2026-27 deal. He's got great size, athleticism and playmaking ability and is a willing defender. His shooting is suspect, as well, even though he shot a career-high .432 from long distance in 2021-22. He is the older brother of Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. In his lone season at UCLA, Lonzo Ball led the nation in assists (7.6) in 2016-17. Merrill back Unrestricted free agent guard Sam Merrill intends to sign a four-year, $38 million deal to stay with the Cavs, sources told ESPN. Merrill has become a solid fixture in Atkinson's rotation with his toughness, defensive ability and 3-point shooting. Contact Bob Finnan at (440) 329-7135 or rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.