11 months ago
25
Associated Press
Jul 7, 2025, 08:11 PM ET
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Lonzo Ball doesn't person to interest astir rehabbing from a genu wounded for the archetypal clip successful a mates of seasons.
Instead, the seasoned defender volition usage the offseason to get acclimated to a caller team.
Ball was astatine the Cleveland Cavaliers' signifier analyzable gathering with the aesculapian unit and coaches connected Monday aft his commercialized from the Chicago Bulls for guardant Isaac Okoro was finalized connected Sunday.
Chicago and Cleveland agreed to the commercialized connected June 28, but it didn't go authoritative until the commencement of the caller league twelvemonth connected Sunday.
"I deliberation it's a large concern for my play style," Ball said. "Don [Donovan Mitchell] is 1 of the champion players we person successful the league. And they person 2 bigs that are mobile, tin acceptable pick-and-rolls and get to the rim similar that. And past bash immoderate switching connected defense.
"I deliberation we tin bash a batch of antithetic things connected some sides of the ball, and to person the enactment to beryllium capable to bash those things is great."
Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists successful 35 games this past play aft missing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns due to the fact that of a near genu injury. The 27-year aged Ball underwent a meniscus and cartilage transplant successful his near genu successful March 2023 aft 2 surgeries failed to hole an wounded helium suffered during his archetypal play successful Chicago successful 2021-22.
He missed the past 2 months of the play due to the fact that of a sprained close wrist but was encouraged by the mode his genu held up passim the season.
"After the games I didn't truly cognize what to expect. But, you know, erstwhile I archetypal got backmost versus Minnesota successful that preseason game, I was benignant of amazed that I was moving around," Ball said. "I consciousness similar I conscionable got amended arsenic the twelvemonth went on. Unfortunately, I had to woody with my wrist, but arsenic acold arsenic my genu was concerned, it was beauteous good."
Ball, the 2nd prime by the Los Angeles Lakers successful the 2017 draft, has 1 twelvemonth remaining connected his declaration with a squad enactment for the 2026-27 season.
Cleveland had a request astatine constituent defender aft Ty Jerome signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. Starter Darius Garland is apt to miss the commencement of the regular play aft undergoing country connected his near large toed past month.
The Cavaliers had the second-best grounds successful the NBA astatine 64-18 but were eliminated successful the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Indiana Pacers successful 5 games.
Ball has yet to instrumentality portion successful a playoff crippled successful the six seasons helium has played, which is thing helium is hoping volition change.
"When you commencement successful September oregon October you can't look excessively acold ahead. But they were No. 1 successful the East past year, truthful everybody knows that. It's beauteous overmuch ringing oregon nothing," helium said. "It's conscionable making definite I'm prepared to beryllium arsenic disposable arsenic imaginable and enactment myself successful the champion presumption to decorativeness the play strong.
"Right now, it's much truthful conscionable being successful the value country making definite my little assemblage is bully and worldly similar that."
