One of the biggest needs that must be addressed for the Golden State Warriors is the backup point guard position. A key opportunity to acquire a proven veteran was just taken away from the Warriors front office.
Shams Charania had some breaking news on Twitter/X for everyone today. The NBA insider revealed that a trade target who had been linked to the Warriors previously was on his way elsewhere.
Charania wrote, "BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are trading Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro, sources tell ESPN."
That ultimately wound up being the entire trade package. There was no additional draft pick compensation, or anything of the sort. It was just a straight-up one-for-one player swap between the Bulls and Cavaliers.
"Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman and his staff have targeted Ball for months, inquiring about him at the February trade deadline and then ultimately finalizing the deal Saturday," Charania added in his write-up about the deal.
The older of the Ball brothers in the NBA is a tough miss for the Warriors. After finally returning to the court following several missed seasons due to an injury suffered in the 2021-22 season, the former Bulls guard showed promise in the 2024-25 season.
There was still work that needed to be done for Ball to return to the high-level role player he was before the missed seasons. However, the former top five pick represented a guard that could have comfortably ran the bench unit for Golden State.
There would have been some opportunity for featuring Ball alongside Stephen Curry as well. The impressive 6-foot-6 frame, coupled with the defense and shooting ability possessed, would have made the UCLA alumni a solid fit beside Curry in lineups.
The Warriors will now have to turn elsewhere to address the position. Seeking one in the return package for a potential Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade appears the most likely outcome at this point.