The ChicagoBulls are trading guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Isaac Okoro, a person with direct knowledge of the trade told USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt.
The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the trade is official.
Ball, 27, will be on his fourth team since he was drafted second overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. Ball previously played for the New Orleans Pelicans and was part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers in 2019.
He missed the entire 2022-2023 and 2023-24 seasons after experiencing pain in his troublesome left knee, after signing a four-year, $85 million deal with the Bulls as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Pelicans in 2021.
Ball has played 35 games last season, averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists last season, and signed a two-year, $20 million contract extension in February.
Okoro was also a lottery pick, the fifth overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers after spending one season at Auburn. After starting the majority of his first two seasons, the 24-year-old Okoro has primarily been a bench performer the last two seasons for Cleveland, which had the top seed in the Eastern Conference but was eliminated in the semifinals in five games by the Indiana Pacers.
Okoro averaged 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 55 games, with 22 starts last season. He inked a three-year contract extension before the start of the 2024-25 season.
(This story was updated with new information.)
