Lonzo Ball Sends 2-Word Response to Donovan Mitchell After Cavaliers Trade

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guard Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls in a trade. Star player Donovan Mitchell expressed enthusiasm about the pairing by sharing an edited image of himself and Ball in Cavaliers uniforms on his Instagram story, accompanied by fire emojis. Ball responded by reposting the image with the caption "It's up" on his own Instagram story.

During the 2024-25 season with the Bulls, Ball averaged career-low marks of 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, while shooting 34.4% from three-point range – his third-worst efficiency from beyond the arc. In exchange for Ball, the Cavaliers sent Isaac Okoro to Chicago, a move that signals potential free agency departure for Ty Jerome. Ball is entering the first year of a two-year, $20 million contract that includes a team option for the 2026-27 season.

Ball, 27, has faced significant injury challenges throughout his career, including missing the entire 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons due to a knee injury requiring three surgeries – the most recent being a ligament transplant from a donor. He returned for 35 games in 2024-25 but was limited by minutes restrictions and a wrist injury. Notably, Ball has played 60+ games in only one of his eight NBA seasons, a durability concern for Cleveland.

In a March interview with Heavy Sports, Ball reflected on his comeback journey: "A lot of people wrote me off... but the people around me [believed]. The journey made me stronger. I came out of it a better man... full of happiness to be able to play again."