Lonzo Ball Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavs Rumors: Oladipo, Wade, Tomlin, Enaruna

July 19th, 2025 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers currently have 13 players on standard contracts and it’s not yet clear how they intend to fill their 14th roster spot, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only mailbag article.

As Fedor explains, head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s switch-heavy defensive system means another versatile wing will always be an option for the Cavs, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if the team adds another ball-handler.

Darius Garland will be coming off toe surgery, Lonzo Ball has only played in 35 games over the past three seasons for health reasons (mostly knee-related), and it remains to be seen whether the club is comfortable using Craig Porter Jr. in a major role, Fedor writes. While Donovan Mitchell is another ball-handling option, Cleveland won’t want to lean on him too heavily early in the season.

One free agent guard who is at least on the Cavs’ radar is two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo. A member of the front office attended Oladipo’s recent workout in Las Vegas, according to Fedor, who says Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has long been a fan of the former No. 2 overall pick. In fact, Fedor describes Gilbert as having been “eager” to use the No. 1 overall pick in 2013 on Oladipo until David Griffin, then an assistant general manager, lobbied for Anthony Bennett.

Here’s more on the Cavs from Fedor:

There was a good deal of “chatter” in Las Vegas about the possibility of the Cavaliers trading forward Dean Wade, says Fedor. Wade is on an expiring $6.6MM contract in 2025/26 and there’s a sense that he may not be a priority for a cap-strapped Cleveland team beyond the coming season. Sources tell Cleveland.com that contending teams from each conference have expressed interest in Wade, with Fedor adding that the Mavericks are among the clubs believed to be fans of him.
If Wade were to be moved, it could create an opportunity for two-way forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who made just five NBA appearances as a rookie last season. The 24-year-old “continues to turn heads” after averaging 20.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game on .582/.409/.800 shooting in four Summer League outings, Fedor notes, and could compete for rotation minutes this fall.
Former Cleveland State wing Tristan Enaruna, who had a good Summer League for the Cavs (13.3 PPG, .568/.429/.500 shooting), is among the players the club is considering for its open two-way slot alongside Tomlin and Luke Travers, per Fedor.
Fedor observes that improving the defense was a priority for the Cavaliers this summer after the unit struggled in the club’s second-round series loss to Indiana. That’s one reason why the front office prioritized retaining Sam Merrill over Ty Jerome. The belief in Cleveland, Fedor writes, is that Merrill and new additions Ball and Larry Nance Jr. won’t get played off the court in the postseason.

Cap Notes: Bulls, Nuggets, Harden, Minott, MLEs

July 18th, 2025 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

When the Bulls traded Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro earlier this month, they had to use a portion of their existing Zach LaVine traded player exception worth $17MM+ to absorb Okoro’s $11MM salary, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. Chicago couldn’t simply use Ball’s $10MM outgoing salary for matching purposes due to an injury protection clause in his contract, Smith notes.

The $10MM owed to Ball for the 2025/26 season would be fully guaranteed if he were waived today, but his contract includes an Exhibit 3 (“prior injury exclusion”) clause which would let the team off the hook for the full amount if he suffers a specific injury — presumably, a major one related to his surgically repaired knee.

It sounds as if the NBA required the Bulls to treat Ball’s salary as non-guaranteed due to that Exhibit 3 clause, which means it wouldn’t count for $10MM for outgoing purposes, as we explain in our glossary entry on the trade rules for non-guaranteed salary. That meant another exception had to be used to take on Okoro’s incoming $11MM.

The move will still hard-cap the Bulls at the first tax apron for the 2025/26 league year — instead of using the expanded traded player exception (taking back more than 100% of Ball’s salary), they used a trade exception generated during the previous season. Either move creates a hard cap at the first apron.

Here are a few more cap-related housekeeping notes worth passing along:

The Nuggets used a portion of the traded player exception generated in their Michael Porter Jr./Cameron Johnson swap to acquire Jonas Valanciunas‘ $10.4MM salary from Sacramento, creating a new TPE worth Dario Saric‘s outgoing $5.4MM salary in the process, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports for Sports Business Classroom. Denver could’ve used Saric’s outgoing salary to legally match Valanciunas’ incoming amount without touching the Porter TPE, but doing so would’ve created a first-apron hard cap. Because the Porter TPE was created after the regular season ended, using it doesn’t result in a hard cap for Denver.
The 2025/26 salaries for Clippers guard James Harden and Celtics guard Josh Minott are now fully guaranteed. Neither Harden nor Minott received a fully guaranteed first-year salary at the time they signed earlier this month, but that was just a technicality so that the Clippers and Celtics could avoid guaranteeing their second-year options for 2026/27. Harden’s $39.2MM salary for ’25/26 became guaranteed after July 11, while Minott’s $2.4MM salary was guaranteed after July 15.
Once Damian Lillard officially signs with Portland, there will be just four NBA teams who still have their entire $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception available and remain far enough below the first tax apron that they could use the entire thing. Those teams are the Wizards, Hornets, Bulls, and Warriors. However, Chicago and Golden State still have to resolve restricted free agency for Josh Giddey and Jonathan Kuminga, respectively, so there’s no guarantee they’ll remain on that list. That will make Washington and Charlotte two teams to watch closely for the rest of the offseason and perhaps into the season, since that MLE flexibility makes them candidates to take on unwanted salary in trades.

Scouts, Execs View Cavs As Favorites To Win East Next Season

July 5th, 2025 at 8:36am CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers claimed the top seed in the Eastern Conference last season by going 64-18. In part due to injuries, Cleveland had a rocky playoff showing, losing its second-round series vs. Indiana in five games.

Due to the Achilles tears of Jayson Tatum (Celtics) and Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), the East is viewed as being up for grabs in 2025/26. But in an anonymous poll of eight NBA scouts and executives, seven selected the Cavaliers to win the conference (one picked them to finish second), according to Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

The Knicks were the only other team to receive a first-place vote and appear on all eight ballots. They finished second in the poll, with the Hawks and Magic rounding out the top four.

Thus far this offseason, the Cavs agreed to a trade with the Bulls that will send Lonzo Ball to Cleveland and Isaac Okoro to Chicago. On his What An Experience podcast (YouTube link), Ball said he’s excited to be joining a contending team.

“Just playing, competing for a ring. I feel like that should be the goal, I feel like that is the goal,” said Ball (hat tip to Benedetto Vitale of Clutch Points). “So, happy to get over there and get started. To meet everybody, get familiar with everything, and take it as far as we can.

“I feel like it’s just a blessing, bro. To be honest, I mean, everybody keeps asking me how I feel about the trade. I’m like, s—, I’m happy to still be playing anywhere, let alone a team that has a real chance to win a ring. My whole life, I feel like I’ve been playing the right brand of basketball, and that’s to win games, so I feel like I’m going to a great situation and I just want to play my role and do what I can to help.”

In other offseason moves, Cleveland lost Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome to the Grizzlies in free agency, declined its team option on Chuma Okeke, agreed to re-sign sharpshooter Sam Merrill and bring back former big man Larry Nance Jr., and signed second-round pick Tyrese Proctor to a standard contract. The Cavs’ other second-rounder, Saliou Niang, will reportedly play for EuroLeague club Virtus Bologna next season.

The Cavaliers seem prepared to bring back their “core four” of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, though Garland’s name has popped up in some trade talks. All four players have All-Star nods on their résumés and are on lucrative long-term contracts.

Cleveland will be operating over the second tax apron next season, limiting the team’s roster-building flexibility.

Bulls Notes: Okoro, Dosunmu, Essengue, Ball

June 28th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Isaac Okoro, who will be acquired from Cleveland in a trade for Lonzo Ball, is the type of player Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said he’s looking to build the team around during a meeting with reporters earlier this week, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Okoro had mixed results during his five seasons with the Cavaliers, but he’s a strong wing defender who can play multiple positions.

Discussing how the Pacers were able to reach the NBA Finals, Eversley said, “What I take away from Indiana is their style of play. They continue to come at you over and over. They play fast in spite of the score or what quarter it is. That’s kind of how we played this year. They’ve got a bunch of players that can play on both sides of the floor, and that’s exactly what we want to build here in Chicago, players who are versatile. You can’t [defensively] hunt any of their players. Everybody can defend, run and make a shot.”

The Bulls have been criticized for not getting a draft pick in the deal, but Cowley points out that Okoro’s contract isn’t burdensome enough to ask for a sweetener. He’ll make $11MM and $11.8MM over the next two seasons before becoming a free agent in 2027.

Cowley notes that adding Okoro will allow the Bulls to continue trying to unload Patrick Williams, and it will take some pressure off 18-year-old Noa Essengue, the team’s first-round pick, to contribute right away.

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls remain active in trade talks after today’s deal, tweets K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, who hears that Ayo Dosunmu is being discussed more than Coby White.
In a Chicago Sports Network interview (Twitter video link), Eversley discusses the decision to draft Essengue at No. 12, saying he was the “best player available, and he fits the style of play that we want to play.”
Injuries changed the course of Ball’s four years with the Bulls, states Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Ball and the team got off to a strong start after he was acquired in a 2021 trade with New Orleans, but everything changed when he hurt his knee in January of 2022. It appeared to be a routine injury at the time, but Ball missed more than two full seasons before finally making it back in October. He talked about the long recovery process and the thrill of getting back on the court at this year’s exit interview, Poe adds. “I got to a point where I was starting, which I didn’t think was going to happen,” Ball said. “I got to a point where I was playing 30 minutes multiple games in a row, which I didn’t think was going to happen this year. So I went above certain goals that I set for myself, and that’s very positive for me moving forward.”

Bulls Trade Lonzo Ball To Cavaliers For Isaac Okoro

June 28th, 2025 at 10:08am CST by Earnest Marshall

July 6: The one-for-one trade is official, according to a Bulls press release.

June 28: The Bulls are trading point guard Lonzo Ball to the Cavaliers in exchange for forward Isaac Okoro, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

Ball, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has played for Chicago since 2021. However, due to multiple knee injuries, he spent the better part of those four years recovering. He missed the entirety of the 2022/23 and ’23/24 seasons before returning to the lineup this past year.

While his playing time was down from his career averages this season, he still recorded 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per night and had positive on/off-court numbers.

The Bulls signed Ball to a two-year, $20MM extension in February despite trade interest at the time. He’s on the books for $10MM this coming season and has a team option for 2026/27.

Acquiring Ball gives Cleveland a versatile guard to add to its lineup. The 27-year-old has proven to be an effective defender, shooter and facilitator when healthy. The Cavs’ decision to acquire a point guard could also point to pessimism in their ability to re-sign impending free agent Ty Jerome.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are taking a flier of their own in obtaining former No. 5 overall pick Okoro. The Cavaliers didn’t re-sign Okoro to a multi-year contract until September of last year after he became a restricted free agent following the 2023/24 season.

Okoro’s playing time decreased in new head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s system, and he averaged career lows of 6.1 points and 19.1 minutes per game. In the playoffs, Okoro’s averages shrunk to 4.6 PPG across 14.2 MPG.

He’ll be in the second year of the three-year, $33MM deal he inked with Cleveland last year. He’ll count for $11MM against the cap in 2025/26 before his salary rises to a guaranteed $11.8MM next season.

Ball drew interest on the trade market prior to February’s deadline, with the Grizzlies, Pistons, and Timberwolves said to be among the teams to register interest at that time. The Bulls were reportedly offered draft capital in February, but didn’t want to take on a sizable multiyear contract.

Assuming the Ball/Okoro swap is completed as reported, it will hard-cap the Bulls at the first tax apron for the rest of the 2025/26 league year, since they’ll be taking in more salary than they’re sending out. The trade will become official in July, after the players’ new cap hits take effect.

Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball, Chris Paul Possibilities For Mavericks

May 26th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks will explore a potential trade with the Celtics for Jrue Holiday as they look for someone to take over ball-handling duties while Kyrie Irving is injured, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

Stein admits that a deal for Holiday would be tricky given Dallas’ financial position and the fact that he has three years and $104MM left on his contract. Holiday is among the players Boston is reportedly considering moving to reduce next season’s payroll, so the Celtics won’t be looking to take back big contracts in return. A third or fourth team may have to get involved to make a trade feasible.

Irving suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on March 3. A report last month suggested that he might be able to return by January, but Dallas will need someone to serve as the lead guard until he fully recovers from surgery.

Stein cites Bulls guard Lonzo Ball as “a more reasonable trade target” for the Mavs. Ball signed a two-year, $20MM extension in February that includes a team option for the second season. It would be much easier for Dallas to fit Ball’s contract into its current salary structure, and he’s coming off a relatively healthy season after missing two and a half years with severe knee issues. At 27, Ball is seven years younger than Holiday and could turn into a better long-term investment.

League sources tell Stein that Chris Paul is another player to watch for the Mavericks. Even though he turned 40 earlier this month, Paul was able to appear in all 82 games with the Spurs and produced another productive season, averaging 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 28 minutes per night with .427/.377/.924 shooting splits.

Stein states that the year Paul spent tutoring Victor Wembanyama and his other young teammates was considered successful, but there’s “anticipation” that he might be changing teams again this summer. San Antonio traded for De’Aaron Fox in February and is expected to add Dylan Harper with the second pick in next month’s draft. With Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle also in the backcourt mix, there may not be enough minutes for Paul.

Stein expects plenty of interest around the league in Paul if he decides to move on.

Central Notes: Giddey, Bulls, Hardaway, Pistons

May 18th, 2025 at 3:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Bulls have some major decisions to make about their talented — and perhaps too crowded — backcourt moving forward, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscriber link).

Starting guard Josh Giddey enjoyed an impressive debut season in Chicago. As he heads to restricted free agency this offseason, however, Cowley wonders just how much will be too much for the Bulls when it comes to Giddey’s annual salary.

Following a rocky start, Giddey rounded into form down the season’s home stretch. After the league’s All-Star break — and after the Bulls traded away former All-Star guard Zach LaVine — Giddey logged averages of 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per night, and connected on an impressive 45.7% of his three-point attempts.

“Coming into a new situation, I never want to come in here and step on any toes,” Giddey said. “I was trying too hard to fit in and please everybody, and [after the] All-Star break and [trade] deadline, I started to play freely and be me.”

Cowley is convinced that Giddey will remain in Chicago long-term, but notes that recently extended reserve guard Lonzo Ball and veterans Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter and Coby White could all be on the trade market next season. Among those four, only Ball is under contract beyond 2025/26.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Bulls front office decision makers had an opportunity at this week’s draft combine in Chicago to get an up-close look at some candidates for their No. 12 pick in June’s draft, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. As Poe writes, the Bulls interviewed prospects like Texas guard Tre Johnson, Georgetown center Thomas Sorber, Georgia forward Asa Newell, Connecticut forward Liam McNeeley, South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles, and Michigan State guard Jase Richardson. Poe adds that Duke center Khaman Maluach and Maryland center Derik Queen could also be on Chicago’s radar.
Upon being traded to Detroit from Dallas during the 2024 offseason, Pistons swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. emerged as exactly the kind of reliable, role-playing veteran the team needed en route to its first playoff appearance in six years, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Hardaway is one of three heavily used Pistons vets who will hit free agency this summer, along with Sixth Man of the Year finalist Malik Beasley and guard Dennis Schröder. Langlois notes that there is a possibility that all three could be back on new deals, if the price is right.
In case you missed it, nine-time Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to meet up with Milwaukee decision makers to discuss his future with the team next week.

Bulls Notes: Karnisovas, Vucevic, Ball, Patton, More

April 18th, 2025 at 3:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Before talking about his plans for the Bulls‘ future, executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas addressed a couple rumors about himself at Thursday’s press conference, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

First, Karnisovas said he has no interest in returning to the Nuggets to replace recently fired general manager Calvin Booth. He also emphasized that he considers his job with the Bulls to be safe because he still has a strong relationship with owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Michael Reinsdorf.

“We take pride, especially in this building, in everybody being on the same page,” Karnisovas said. “It’s very hard to accomplish, but that’s how it is in this building between the ownership, front office, coaching staff, performance staff, so they have always been very supportive of my decisions, my thoughts, about this direction.”

He added that the team achieved many of its goals coming into the season, such as changing its style of play, developing its young talent and keeping its first-round pick for 2025. He admitted that major changes are unlikely to happen this summer, but noted that the Bulls will have more financial flexibility in 2026.

“I’m asking fans for patience because we’re in the first year of that transition,” Karnisovas said. “I thought the way we finished the year showed some promise. It’s hard to win games in this league and to finish 15-5, yeah, it’s not a victory lap, but I think there are some positives.”

There’s more from Chicago:

The trade speculation that surrounded Nikola Vucevic heading into the February deadline is likely to re-emerge this summer. After Wednesday’s play-in loss, the 34-year-old center talked about wanting to be with a team that can “win now” and make long playoff runs (Twitter video link from Chicago Sports Network).
Lonzo Ball was never able to return from the sprained right wrist that kept him out of action since February 28, but he said it won’t require surgery, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). After missing two and a half seasons due to a knee injury, Ball said his knee “did better than expected” and he’s looking forward to a normal offseason without having to concentrate on rehab. “I went above the goals I set for myself (physically),” Ball added (Twitter link).
Bulls director of player development Peter Patton won’t be returning to the team next season, Johnson confirms (via Twitter). According to Cowley, the news of Patton’s exit left some players on the roster “beyond pissed,” as one told the Sun-Times in a text message.
Within the same Sun-Times story, Cowley says there’s a feeling in the organization that while Karnisovas often asks for player input before making decisions, he doesn’t always take those opinions into account. “They have to fit his,” one source explained to Cowley.
Given that the Bulls have only won a single playoff game since Karnisovas and Billy Donovan joined the organization in 2020, Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune wonders why the team’s head of basketball operations and head coach aren’t on hotter seats.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the Bulls’ offseason in an Insider-only story, as well as in a YouTube video. Working out a new contract with restricted free agent Josh Giddey and determining what to do with veterans on expiring contracts are among the top summer priorities in Chicago, as Marks details.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Bulls, Heat Dealing With Injuries Going Into Play-In Game

April 16th, 2025 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls guard Josh Giddey will be available for tonight’s play-in game against Miami, but both teams are missing key players for the elimination contest. In a pregame meeting with reporters, Chicago coach Billy Donovan said Giddey, who has been dealing with pain in his right hand, won’t be on a minutes restriction, relays Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Giddey sat out the final two games of the regular season, and sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter video link) that he’s been playing for roughly the last month with a muscle tear in the palm of his hand. Charania called it “a pain-tolerance injury” and said Giddey will need several weeks of rest after the season ends to fully recover.

Charania also states that Giddey’s value is “going up” as he prepares for restricted free agency this summer. He’s averaging 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists over his last 19 games while shooting 46% from beyond the arc.

Donovan added that Lonzo Ball remains out, but he could be available by Sunday if the Bulls advance to a first-round series against Cleveland. Ball has been sidelined since February 28 with a sprained right wrist. Donovan also provided an update on point guard Tre Jones, who has been out since March 20 with a left foot sprain, saying he’s out of a walking boot but likely won’t be ready for the first round.

The Heat are shorthanded too, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Nikola Jovic remains sidelined while recovering from a broken right hand that has kept him out of action since late February and Kevin Love is still reconditioning after being away from the team for personal reasons. Coach Erik Spoelstra said Jovic was able to participate in practice on Tuesday, according to Weiss (Twitter link).

Miami will welcome back rookie guard Pelle Larsson, who sprained his ankle last week while lifting weights, Chiang adds (Twitter link).

“He was right back at the scene of the crime doing the same routine,” Spoelstra said. “That’s been a big part of his process and a lot of the guys’ process. He finished the routine and he’s fine.”

Central Notes: Giddey, Ball, Jones, Buzelis, Pistons, Sims

April 15th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Josh Giddey is dealing with a muscle issue on the side of his hand but he’s expected to suit up for the play-in game against Miami on Wednesday, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network reports.

“It’s just about managing the pain,” Giddey said, adding that the injury will be addressed in the offseason (Twitter links).

Giddey can’t imagine watching Wednesday’s game in street clothes.

“I’m good to go,” he said, per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “Play-in game, must-win game, there’s not way I’m going to sit out.”

Lonzo Ball (wrist) and Tre Jones (foot) won’t play.

We have more from the Central Division:

Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis plans to play for the Lithuanian national team, but he’s unsure about representing his country this offseason. “I’m not sure that I will come this summer. We have problems with the coaches,” he told Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net, referring to controversial comments by an assistant coach of the senior national team, Tomas Pacesas. “I have to talk to Jonas [Valanciunas], Domantas [Sabonis] and see what they will do.” Lithuania will participate in the EuroBasket tournament this summer. Sabonis is expected to sit out for personal reasons, while Valanciunas is expected to play.
The Pistons apparently don’t want Little Caesars Arena to have a large continent of Knicks fans during the first round of the playoffs, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. Potential ticket buyers for upcoming playoff games in Detroit must produce a credit card with a mailing address “located in Michigan and in certain parts of Ohio, Indiana and Ontario, Canada,” according to Ticketmaster. However, a Pistons spokesman told Bondy that the restrictions are intended to target ticket brokers and reduce fraud.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers is “pretty sure” reserve big man Jericho Sims will be available for their opening-round series against Indiana. Sims participated in a majority of Tuesday’s practice, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. He hasn’t played since March 16 due to a thumb injury.