With the Cavaliers in town on Thursday, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan looked back on last summer’s trade that sent Lonzo Ball to Cleveland and brought Isaac Okoro to Chicago, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Donovan expressed appreciation for Okoro’s contributions and unselfish approach, while also sharing sympathy for Ball’s situation after his recent release.
“I loved him as a player and a guy, and he was so cerebral,” Donovan said of Ball. “He was so selfless, that’s really one of the things I admired.
“To see him have to go through what he went through, to fight to get back, see what he’s going through now, that’s tough for me because it’s almost like what could have been, how good could he have been?“
Ball has played 7 seasons for 4 teams, including the Bulls and Pelicans. He has averaged 10.6 points, 5.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 322 regular-season games.
Bulls Notes: Miller, Smith, Ball, Okoro, Donovan https://t.co/kyx0NEkTo6 pic.twitter.com/ZHRdQDFNTa
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 20, 2026
