<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/chicago-bulls/chicago-bulls-grade-lonzo-ball-isaac-okoro-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Chicago Bulls’ grade for Lonzo Ball-Isaac Okoro trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lonzo-Ball-guarding-Isaac-Okoro.jpg"><figcaption>© David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Chicago Bulls’ grade for Lonzo Ball-Isaac Okoro trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T21:52:43-07:00">June 30th, 9:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T21:52:43-07:00">June 30th, 9:52pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Rumors about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-fans-lonzo-ball-trade">a Lonzo Ball trade</a> have been loud all offseason, and on Saturday, the trade went down. This one had been coming for a long time as Ball was a popular name that came up around the NBA trade deadline, but Chicago decided not to deal him then. There were reports that the Bulls could’ve received a future first-round pick in a Ball trade, and they instead waited until the end of the season to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-acquiring-lonzo-ball-trade-bulls">trade him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for only Isaac Okoro</a>.</p><p>Because of what the Bulls reportedly turned down for Lonzo Ball before the trade deadline, Chicago fans are not happy about this trade. In fact, Bulls fans have been pretty unhappy with just about everything that this team has done in the last few years.</p><p>The Bulls have now traded Ball, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan in the last year. They have received zero first-round picks in exchange. Chicago wants to build from the ground up to compile a talented young core, but they aren’t getting any draft picks in these trades. Trades certainly need to happen in order for this team to turn things around, but the Bulls need to be smart about it. They didn’t make very smart moves last offseason, and this offseason isn’t off to a great start.</p><p>There is nothing the Bulls can do now. The trade is in, and Ball is gone. Isaac Okoro is the newest member of the team, so let’s grade this trade:</p><h2><b>Bulls Lonzo Ball trade grade: C+</b></h2><p>You might be wondering why this trade grade isn’t lower after the prior explanation. Well, if you ignore the fact that the Bulls turned down a much better deal for Ball earlier this year, this trade is okay. Now, it can’t be completely ignored, and that decision definitely factors into this trade. However, the trade itself isn’t bad.</p><p>Let’s face it: Lonzo Ball is not the player that he once was. He was a tremendous player before his injury, but going down with something that keeps you sidelined for over two years is not normal. Ball is still a serviceable player and a useful tool, but he doesn’t fit into this Chicago roster as well anymore.</p><p>Isaac Okoro isn’t anything special, but he does fit the mold a little bit better than Ball. He is a few years younger, and the injury concern that is there with Ball isn’t there with Okoro.</p><p>In terms of a direct comparison between these two players, they are very similar in terms of the impact that they will have on their teams. Both players averaged around 20 minutes per game last year, and they both averaged between 6-8 points per game. They are both solid three-point shooters as Ball shot the deep ball at a 34% clip last year, and Okoro shot it at a 37% clip.</p><p>Without the Bulls’ trade deadline blunder, there wouldn’t be a ton to talk about here. It’s a fairly even trade, and you can argue that the Bulls are getting a better fit for what they want to build. However, the fact that the trade deadline blunder happened makes this one much worse for Chicago.</p><p>A Lonzo Ball trade has been brewing for a long time, and it finally happened. Now, who is next? The Bulls are expected to be active in trade conversations this offseason, and there are a lot of other players in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-rumors-ayo-dosunmu-coby-white-trade-tre-jones">Chicago that are mentioned in trade rumors.</a> We’ll see if the Bulls can make one that the fan base actually supports.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Chicago Bulls’ grade for Lonzo Ball-Isaac Okoro trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-rumors-ty-jerome-likely-gone-after-lonzo-ball-trade-sam-merrill-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs rumors: Ty Jerome likely gone after Lonzo Ball trade, Sam Merrill contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ty-Jerome-.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs rumors: Ty Jerome likely gone after Lonzo Ball trade, Sam Merrill contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T07:20:35-07:00">June 29th, 7:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T07:20:35-07:00">June 29th, 7:20am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation in October 2023. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-couldnt-shake-crushing-playoff-exit">Cleveland Cavaliers try to shake off a disappointing playoff exit</a> in the second round of the NBA Playoffs to the Indiana Pacers after finishing first in the Eastern Conference, the team is looking to run it back and compete for a championship. However, the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavaliers-rumors-cleveland-bench-in-serious-jeopardy-per-brian-windhorst">Cavs could be in serious jeopardy</a> due to their inability to retain some key players on their team, which has received more updates following a recent trade around the league.</p><p>The news was broken Saturday that Cleveland would trade for Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls for Isaac Okoro, but also that the team would give Sam Merrill a four-year, $38 million contract. According to ClutchPoints’ NBA Insider Brett Siegel, this signals that it <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-latest-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-nba-free-agency-intel" rel="noopener">“looks increasingly unlikely”</a> that the team retains NBA Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome.</p><p>“After trading for Ball, it looks increasingly unlikely that the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome will return in free agency,” Siegel wrote. “Plenty of teams will hold interest in potentially signing Jerome using their full mid-level exception in free agency.”</p><p>“Keep an eye on teams like the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and Sacramento Kings as potential landing spots for Jerome,” Siegel continued. “These four teams have a key need for backcourt depth.”</p><h2><b>The inevitability of the Cavs losing out on Ty Jerome </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ty-Jerome.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While there could have been <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-rumors-the-ty-jerome-pressure-darius-garland-surgery">pressure on the Cavs to retain Jerome after the surgery</a> to Darius Garland a few weeks ago, the team would make moves in their backcourt, but some that seem to lead to the inevitable departure of the 27-year-old. Jerome had been a crucial member of the team’s bench as a sparkplug on offense, but as Jake Fischer of “The Stein Line” would also write, it’s heading to a situation <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nba-free-agency-and-trade-talk-latest?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167049600&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">where the team will lose out on him.</a></p><p>“The Cavaliers are widely expected to re-sign forthcoming free agent Sam Merrill, but the move to acquire Ball is a signal that Cleveland anticipates losing Ty Jerome in free agency,” Fischer wrote.</p><p>“Jerome is said to be seeking a deal that starts at the full midlevel exception, which is valued at $14.1 million,” Fischer continued. “Ball’s recent contract extension with the Bulls, which as we’ve pointed out previously was instantly described as soon as it was agreed to in February as a highly tradeable contract, will earn him $20 million over the next two seasons … with his new employers in Cleveland holding a team option for 2026-27.”</p><p>At any rate, Cleveland is looking to further improve after finishing with a 64-18 record, which put them first in the Eastern Conference, but they were eliminated by the Pacers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, as mentioned before. Still, the team will be led by stars such as Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Garland, and more, including the newcomer in Ball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs rumors: Ty Jerome likely gone after Lonzo Ball trade, Sam Merrill contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/grading-cavs-bulls-lonzo-ball-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading Cavs-Bulls Lonzo Ball trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Grading-Cavs-Bulls-Lonzo-Ball-trade.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Grading Cavs-Bulls Lonzo Ball trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T10:54:53-07:00">June 28th, 10:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T15:46:19-07:00">June 28th, 3:46pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-acquiring-lonzo-ball-trade-bulls">Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls finalized a player-for-player trade</a> Saturday morning ahead of the NBA’s free-agency period, swapping guard Lonzo Ball for forward Isaac Okoro. The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>The move marks a key roster adjustment for both franchises with Cleveland looking to reinforce its defense and depth, while Chicago continues a broader reset of its roster centered around younger, cost-controlled talent.</p><h2><b>Lonzo Ball bolsters Cavs’ backcourt depth amid Ty Jerome uncertainty</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lonzo-Ball-shoots-the-ball-against-Raptors.jpg"><figcaption>Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Cavaliers enter the 2025 offseason following a franchise-best 64-18 regular-season campaign, finishing with the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland led the league in scoring at 121.9 points per game and ranked second in three-pointers made (15.9) and three-point percentage (38.3%). However, their 12th-ranked defense proved vulnerable during the postseason.</p><p>Cleveland was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-most-to-blame-for-playoff-series-flameout-vs-pacers">eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers</a> in five games. The Cavaliers gave up multiple double-digit leads in the series, struggling to contain Indiana’s dynamic offensive runs. The defensive lapses were a critical factor in the early exit, overshadowing an otherwise dominant postseason offense that averaged 119.4 points per game.</p><p>The addition of Lonzo Ball addresses the Cavaliers’ need for improved perimeter defense and veteran backcourt depth. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/ranking-top-3-lonzo-ball-trade-destinations">Ball returned to action in 2024-25 after missing two full seasons</a> due to knee injuries.</p><p>In 35 games, the 27-year-old <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4066421/lonzo-ball" rel="noopener">averaged</a> 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 36.6% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range in 22.2 minutes per contest.</p><p>Ball also brings a high basketball IQ and defensive versatility, fitting well into a rotation that could lose Ty Jerome in free agency. His current contract adds financial flexibility as well: a two-year, $20 million deal with a player option in 2026-27.</p><p>Cleveland’s front office added veteran presence and defense without surrendering draft capital or taking on long-term financial risk, earning the Cavaliers high marks for this transaction.</p><h2><b>Cleveland Cavaliers: A-</b></h2><h2><b>Bulls land Isaac Okoro but miss out on draft assets again</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Okoro-Cavs-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Bulls remain in a state of flux after finishing the 2024-25 season at 39-43 and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-news-billy-donovan-brutally-honest-play-in-disaster-vs-heat">missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year via the Play-In Tournament</a>. Despite individual improvements from Coby White and the addition of Josh Giddey, the Bulls have failed to establish a clear direction.</p><p>Offensively, Chicago performed well, ranking sixth in the league with 117.8 points per game and third in three-pointers made at 15.4 per game. However, their defense continued to falter, surrendering 119.4 points per contest — among the worst in the NBA.</p><p>By acquiring Okoro, the Bulls add a younger defensively minded wing to their core. The 24-year-old forward averaged 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting a career-best 37.1% from three-point range in 55 games. Though his minutes were limited (19.1 per game), Okoro remained a reliable presence when healthy.</p><p>Okoro is under contract for two more seasons, earning $33 million through 2026-27. He fits the front office’s stated preference for “young players with experience” and could carve out a larger role on a rebuilding roster that needs defensive help on the perimeter.</p><p>The trade does little, however, to shift the Bulls meaningfully forward. Chicago continues to offload veterans — having already dealt DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso — without acquiring any future first-round picks in return. The pattern repeated in the Ball-for-Okoro deal, compounding questions about the long-term vision of the franchise.</p><p>While Okoro offers youth and upside, the Bulls’ failure to extract additional assets lowers the overall value of the trade.</p><h2><b>Chicago Bulls: C-</b></h2><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading Cavs-Bulls Lonzo Ball trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-fans-lonzo-ball-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavaliers fans react to shocking Lonzo Ball trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Lonzo-Ball-2-reacts-during-a-game-against-the-Toronto-Raptors.jpg"><figcaption>© Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavaliers fans react to shocking Lonzo Ball trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T10:02:28-07:00">June 28th, 10:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T10:02:28-07:00">June 28th, 10:02am</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers shook things up by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-acquiring-lonzo-ball-trade-bulls?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAYnJpZBExaGlwbXE2RFgxYWZiNlBKeQEend9LHV2u0ty5tNEc7oNwpVsctG7OsSInL_POWLnGEpGmBDNEB2AFEXMyr_c_aem_IvmHbjcCLCujckncuW9T5A" rel="noopener">acquiring Lonzo Ball in a trade</a> with the Chicago Bulls. In exchange, the Bulls will get Isaac Okoro. </p><p>As a result, Cavaliers fans are <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1938978558241628268" rel="noopener">using social media to make their voices heard</a> in response to the trade. On the Cavs Nation X page, responses began to come in immediately. </p><p>One <a href="https://x.com/Hoops1Wire/status/1938982472185794882" rel="noopener">reflected positively</a> on the move, saying that Ball brings a unique set of skills that are conducive to the team. </p><p>“Okoro a good defender, but Alonzo is no drop off. Lonzo brings another ball handler and true floor general for a talented scoring and shooting backcourt. Lonzo when healthy is one of the better PGs in the league. His impact is well beyond the stats. Great move for the Cavs.” @Hoops1Wire posted on X. </p><p>Another fan <a href="https://x.com/TheREAL_DTEB/status/1938984086371959067" rel="noopener">took aim</a> at the Bulls by indicating that they are inclined to say yes to anything.</p><p>“The Bulls just be saying yes to the first offers they see,” @TheREAL_DTEB posted on X.  But one fan <a href="https://x.com/trinalovejames/status/1938991417730191635" rel="noopener">didn’t like</a> the trade, not one bit. </p><p>“terrible trade” @trinalovejames posted on X. </p><p>The Cavaliers are coming off a season in which they went 64-18, the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, they were <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-cleveland-season-ends-familiar-collapse-pacers" rel="noopener">eliminated in the first round by the Indiana Pacers</a>. </p><p>As for Ball, he’s expected to add a strong defensive presence and an up-tempo dimension to the Cavalier’s offense. But where does Okoro go from here?</p><h2><b>Can Isaac Okoro transition smoothly from the Cavaliers to the Bulls?</b></h2><p>In 2020, Okoro was drafted by the Cavaliers. During his stint, he averaged 8.1 points per game.</p><p>Okoro complimented Ball when it came to playing defense on the perimeter. </p><p>He was given the responsibility of guarding the opponent’s best offensive player. In addition, Okoro shot a career-best 39.1% from the three-point line during the 2023-2024 season. </p><p>In Chicago, Okoro is likely to come off the bench and provide relief for Coby White and Josh Giddey. The hope is for him to grow in terms of offense along with a team that is trying to become a venerable presence in the league. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavaliers fans react to shocking Lonzo Ball trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-acquiring-lonzo-ball-trade-bulls');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs acquiring Lonzo Ball in trade with Bulls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lonzo-Ball-shoots-the-ball-against-Raptors.jpg"><figcaption>© Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs acquiring Lonzo Ball in trade with Bulls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T08:19:28-07:00">June 28th, 8:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T10:17:40-07:00">June 28th, 10:17am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cavaliers-rumors-cleveland-offered-starter-in-kevin-durant-trade-bid">Cleveland Cavaliers are making a big move as they look to reload</a> for next season. Cleveland<a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1938976906960883936" rel="noopener"> is trading</a> with the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball, per ESPN. In return the Bulls are getting Isaac Okoro.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/bulls-rumors-chicago-active-coby-white-lonzo-ball-trade-discussions">Bulls were rumored to be actively shopping Ball</a> in recent days. He finished this past season with a 7.6 points per game scoring average. Ball also shot about 37 percent from the field.</p><p>Okoro finished the season averaging 6.1 points per game for the Cavs, while posting 19 minutes per contest. In the NBA Playoffs, he had a 13 point performance against the Indiana Pacers on May 11. He has spent his entire career in Cleveland.</p><p>Cleveland lost to the Pacers in the NBA Playoffs, in what was seen as a disappointing finish to the campaign. Chicago, meanwhile, had a losing season overall. The club did make the Play-In tournament, before losing to Miami.</p><h2><b>Cavs hope Lonzo Ball is the answer </b></h2><p>Ball has been effective at various points in his career. He averaged double figures in scoring for three consecutive seasons, before this last campaign. He also missed two full seasons of action, before this year.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/bulls-news-lonzo-ball-gets-injury-status-for-hornets-clash">Ball has battled injuries in recent years</a>. He has had knee surgeries, as well as a sprained wrist. The new Cavs player saw a career-low season this past year in his production. His scoring average was the lowest it has been since he joined the NBA. His minutes also declined.</p><p>Ball is also joining his fourth team now since the 2018-19 season. Since then, he has played for the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Bulls and now the Cavs.</p><p>The Cavs had one of the best seasons in the NBA this year. Cleveland won 64 games and looked to be a near shoe-in for the NBA Finals. That all went awry after the team struggled to compete in the postseason against Indiana. The Cavs bowed to the Pacers in five games.</p><p>Cavs fans hope that Ball can find his groove again, while playing for Cleveland. The guard was selected second overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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