BREAKING: 4 Reasons the Chicago Bulls Nailed the Lonzo Ball Trade
Chicago shipped the oft-injured guard to Cleveland in exchange for a solid 3-and-D wing. And I'm 100% cool with that.
DURING THE 2025 NBA DRAFT, the Chicago Bulls were their usual mediocre, phumphering selves, selecting a project in the first round, then sending their second-round pick (45) to the Lakers in exchange for L.A.’s second-rounder (55) and—say it with me, now—cash considerations.
Classic Bulls, amirite?
This morning, they kinda-sorta redeemed themselves, trading point guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers in return for 24-year-old wing Isaac Okoro, a gritty Auburn product who will fill a huge hole in Chicago’s rotation, that hole somebody who can defend wings.
This isn’t a game-changing deal, by any means—last season, dealing with injuries, Okoro played in just 55 games, averaging 6.1 points in 19.1 minutes—but the Georgia native has some chops on D, boasting a solid career defensive rating of 114.9.
Upon first blush, this seems like an odd move for the Bulls, as Ball, when healthy, is a top-15 point guard. (It seems even odder for Cleveland, as they’re loaded at the one-spot with Darius Garland and Ty Jerome, but we’ll leave that discussion for the fine folks at Cleveland Sports Stuff.)
The fact is, this is a fantastic move, possibly the best we’ve seen during Artūras Karnišovas Era.
That’s a low bar. But still.
Anyhoobs, here are four reasons the Bulls got this one right:
1) Okoro’s Injury Situation Isn’t Good, But It’s Better Than Lonzo’s
Check out Okoro’s various ouchies over the last three calendar years:
January 3–14, 2022: Sprained left elbow: Missed five games
March 28 – April 15, 2023: Sore left knee: Missed six games
November 5–25, 2023: Left knee injury: Missed nine games
March 31 – April 7, 2024: Toe injury: Missed four games
December 16, 2024 – January 18, 2025: Sprained right shoulder: Missed eight games.
Here’s Lonzo’s deal over the same stretch:
January 20, 2022: Torn meniscus in left knee: Missed 47 games.
Entire 2022 – 23 season: Persistent left knee issues: Missed 82 games.
Entire 2023 – 24 season: Recovery from left knee cartilage transplant: Missed 82 games
October 28 – November 27, 2024: Right wrist sprain: Missed 15 games
December 4 – 28, 2024: Recurring left knee soreness and illness: Missed 5 games.
In Okoro, you’re getting a young, healthier option—he’s 24 to Ball’s 27—who rolls into the 2025-26 season with few, if any health concerns. Ball and his not-quite-proven reconstructed knee, on the other hand, is a weird dribble or two away from IR.
2) The Deal Helps Clear Up Chicago’s Backcourt Logjam
About three hours ago, Chicago’s boasted five starting-level point guards on their roster. With Ball’s departure, they’re down to four, still too many, but it’s a start.
Unless he showed up to training camp with a 199% healthy knee and in the best shape of his life, Ball would have trouble getting minutes, as he shares the locker room with Coby White, Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, and Ayo Dosunmu.
The Bulls are apparently poised to sign Giddey to a deal that will pay the free agent $30 million a year, so he’ll get plenty of burn, as will Coby White, who’s, y’know, good.
But don’t sleep on Jones and Dosunmu, a pair of solid producers who might end up being better chips than Ball.
3) Patrick Williams Might Get Fewer Minutes
I don’t dig Patrick Williams’ game (never have, probably never will) and Okoro—who clocks in at 6’5”, 225, two inches shorter and ten pounds heavier than Williams—will eat into the bust’s minutes.
Yes, Williams is a bust. Prove me wrong.
Okoro will be the defender Karnišovas hoped Williams would be, and hopefully this deal augers a new home for Patrick.
4) Okoro Can Hit From Distance
Last season, Okoro hit 37.1% from behind the arc, a better percentage than Luka Doncic, Jalen Williams, and—wait for it, wait for it—Coby White.
The 2024-25 Bulls jacked up 3,447 three-point attempts, the third-most in the league, and there haven’t been any public declarations of a change in philosophy, so if the newest Bull can, indeed, produce—or at least not suck—from distance, and lock down—or at least slow down—the Donovan Mitchells and the Jaylen Browns of the world, well, suffice it to say that Bulls Nation will be somewhat less annoyed about Patrick Williams’ continued presence on the roster.
The key word there being “somewhat.”