Lonzo Ball made his expectations clear after being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers: anything short of an NBA championship is not good enough. As reported by Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, Ball emphasized the team’s mindset, saying, “We should all be focused on getting to a ring… everybody knows that it’s pretty much ring or nothing.”
The Cavaliers acquired Ball from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for defensive wing Isaac Okoro. The move strengthens Cleveland’s backcourt depth, particularly with Ty Jerome entering free agency. For Chicago, the deal balances their guard-heavy roster while adding a versatile perimeter defender in Okoro.
Cleveland finished the 2024–25 regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 64–18 but fell short in the playoffs, losing to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.
Ball acknowledged the challenge of a long season, adding, “June’s a long time when you start in September, October, so you can’t look too far ahead.”
After battling through multiple knee surgeries over four seasons, Ball played 35 games last year, posting 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game in limited minutes.
He called the trade a perfect fit for his style of play, noting, “I couldn’t ask for nothing better than this… I’m gonna go out there, defend, push the pace, shoot the shots that are open and live with the results.”
