Lonzo Ball has an immense skill set and potential, but his injuries hampered him. He has always been a significant talent, and his addition should be a positive for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The former #2 overall pick is off to Cleveland after the trade with the Chicago Bulls for Isaac Okoro.

After cementing themselves as the first seed in the 2024-25 regular season, the Cavs want to build on the momentum. They lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Indiana Pacers, which was a tough result. However, they are retooling the team with Ball as a backcourt player.

The primary partnership between Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland is still alive and well. Ball will come in as their backup, filling in the role that Ty Jerome left. Insiders were already hinting at Jerome leaving, so the 27-year-old guard is a welcome addition.

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A move to a top team like the Cavaliers is a good career move for Ball. Playing for the Bulls was a good time for him, but that team is in limbo. With the Cavs, the 27-year-old has a path to potentially becoming a contender.

Cleveland was already the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the 2024-25 season. They would want to maintain that momentum. With Ball likely to play a big role for the Cavaliers, he is glad to be part of the team. Jeff Teague claimed he could be what Alex Caruso is for the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is a great comparison.

“Just playing, competing for a ring. I feel like that should be the goal, I feel like that is the goal. So, happy to get over there and get started. To meet everybody, get familiar with everything, and take it as far as we can,” Ball said on the What An Experience podcast.

“I feel like it’s just a blessing, bro. To be honest, I mean, everybody keeps asking me how I feel about the trade.

“I’m like, s___ I’m happy to still be playing anywhere, let alone a team that has a real chance to win a ring.”

“My whole life, I feel like I’ve been playing the right brand of basketball, and that’s to win games, so I feel like I’m going to a great situation and I just want to play my role and do what I can to help.”

The Eastern Conference is wide open in the 2025-26 season. Most people expected the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and Milwaukee Bucks would be competitive ahead of the campaign. Unfortunately, their star players all suffered major Achilles injuries during the 2025 Playoffs.

While Milwaukee and Boston will still be competitive, they do not have that x-factor beyond one of their active stars. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown cannot carry their teams alone, so the Cavaliers and New York Knicks are the favorites.

With the Cavaliers having this status, the pressure is high. Losing Jerome was a significant blow, but they recouped their losses by getting Ball. The former #2 overall pick is not a scorer like Jerome, but he can defend and be a playmaker.

The team could afford to lose Okoro due to their mid-season trade for De’Andre Hunter. He seamlessly fit into the system when he joined. Ball looks to be another strong addition to Kenny Atkinson’s system. The 2024-25 Coach of the Year will make adjustments, as he found more things to iron out.