Lonzo Ball Trade Grades: have the Bulls actually did something good?
Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago players exchanged players on Saturday, in particular Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball.
It is an agreement that is actually quite well balanced, so we enter.
Cleveland gets a replacement of Ty Jerome
With the ball arrives in Cleveland, you can probably exclude a return of the free agent Ty Jerome this summer, since Ball will take on the backup guard role.
Announcement
The 27 -year -old lost two complete seasons due to left knee problems, crossing three surgical interventions, making an extraordinary return last season playing 35 games for the bulls and showing better movements than most would have expected.
Cleveland takes on a certain level of risk here because the ball is not a block to play 50 or 60 games, but they are oscillating on the positive side that is ready for a post -stament race. Ball’s Qi is substantial and its defensive know-how remains a resource for any team.
Ball has signed a two -year extension for a value of $ 20 million, which triggers this summer. The second year has a team option in the event that its accident model re -emerges.
Basically, CAVS have an easy out here, if necessary, so this year they are only for its salary, which represents only 6.47% of the expected salary limit.
Announcement
The fact that they have given up Okoro, who has rarely used a wing, will not hurt their depth, with De’andre Hunter absorbing many of those minutes.
Degree: A
Tori get a better symmetry of the roster
The bulls were full of guards, and it was frankly the time to do something about it.
The Bulls extended the ball for this reason – in order to send it to a future trade – showing a surprising foresight for an organization historically that has had very little.
The performance is Okoro, a 6 -foot and 5 wing that can affect corner 3 and play a solid defense.
He is not a high volume boy and probably will never be, but he can integrate into the fabric of a team in which he is not heavy, and it is not a bad ability to have.
Announcement
Okoo will play hard, he will be an active and switchable defender, and will give Chicago necessary to a small striker, with Patrick Williams and Matas Buzelis most suitable for four natural.
Okoro’s contract is also fine. He signed a three -year agreement in 2024 for a value of $ 33 million, so just over $ 22.8 million remained in the next two seasons.
This is a very manageable number, and the bulls essentially blocks in a rotation wing for a number that is not below the non -tax MLE, which is actually a decent job.
Of course, it is not yet clear what Chicago’s plan is, therefore in the context of potential follow-up moves, this becomes a difficult vote.
Announcement
Are they planning to compete and see Okoro as someone who will help them put them in the playoffs? In this case, it is probably a little too optimistic.
Is it instead considered a solid contract that will help to stabilize secondary rotation? Then it’s a bull eye.
Degree: Incomplete, but it is not necessarily a negative thing.