The Chicago Bulls traded Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. The move was not a big surprise. However, one NBA insider believes it was idiotic to do it now instead of when they could have gotten far more value in a deal before February’s trade deadline.
On Saturday afternoon, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania was the first to break the news of the deal between the NBA Central rivals. “The Chicago Bulls are trading Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro,” he wrote in a post on X.
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The Bulls’ trading Ball has been rumored since last season. And it was seen as likely this summer as they try to reshape the roster after a last-place finish in the Central. However, following the deal, NBA insider Kevin O’Connor took a shot at Chicago for their decision to move the guard now. Instead of during the season when they could have gotten far more.
“The Bulls are hilarious,” O’Connor wrote on X. “Could’ve got a first-round pick for Lonzo Ball at the trade deadline. Instead, they end up with a rotation guy who was awful in the playoffs.”
The Bulls are hilarious. Could’ve got a first round pick for Lonzo Ball at the trade deadline. Instead they end up with a rotation guy who was awful in the playoffs https://t.co/OKxTKo41Yu
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 28, 2025
It is a fair point. A first-round pick would have been far more useful for Chicago. Even if it wasn’t in this year’s draft. Despite being the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Okoro hasn’t come anywhere close to reaching his potential. While Ball is one of the most injury-prone players in the league, when healthy, he has been a far greater impact player in the league than Okoro.
Making it even more confusing is that they didn’t even save money in the deal. They added a million more in payroll and locked themselves into owing Okoro $11.8 million in 2026-27. Ball had a $10 million club option for the 2026-27 season.
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After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos