Lonzo Ball might not even ending up lasting for a full year in Cleveland.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are discussing avenues to trade away their point guard Ball ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA deadline, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Friday. Siegel notes that the Cavaliers would like expiring contracts in order to move out of the second apron of the luxury tax.
Ball, still only 28 years old, was acquired by the Cavaliers over the summer as part of a trade with the Chicago Bulls. Cleveland managed to land the former No. 2 overall pick in exchange for forward Isaac Okoro.
But Ball has been largely invisible this season for the 29-20 Cavs. He has appeared in 33 total games, averaging 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest. Ball’s shooting splits have also been especially ghastly at 31/28/70.
The former UCLA star Ball is under contract this year for an affordable $10 million. He also has a $10 million team option for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Ball, who missed almost three full calendar years from 2022-24 due to nagging knee issues, has at least slightly re-proven himself from a health standpoint. A contending team in need of a defending and playmaking role piece off the bench might just be interested in taking a swing on Ball (who drew trade interest from three notable teams not too long ago).
