Lonzo Ball is excited for a fresh start with the Cleveland Cavaliers after trade from the Chicago Bulls – Chicago Tribune
Independence, Ohio – Lonzo Ball does not have to worry about the rehabilitation of a knee injury for the first time in a few seasons.
Instead, the guardian of the veterans will use the off -season to acclimatize to a new team.
Ball was at the meeting of the Cleveland Cavaliers practice complex with medical staff and coaches on Monday after his business by Chicago Bulls for striker Isaac Okoro was finalized on Sunday.
Chicago and Cleveland accepted trade on June 28, but it did not become official before the start of the new year of League on Sunday.
“I think it’s a great situation for my style of play,” said Ball. “Don (Donovan Mitchell) is one of the best players we have in the league. And they have two big people who are mobile, can define pick-and-rolls and arrive on the edge like that. And then do some defense. I think we can do a lot of different things on both sides of the ball, and having the opportunity to be able to do these things is great. ”
Ball collected an average of 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 35 games last season after missing the 2022-23 and 2024 campaigns due to a left knee injury. The 27-year-old ball was undergone a meniscus and cartilage transplant in his left knee in March 2023 after two surgeries failed to resolve an injury he suffered in his first season in Chicago in 2021-222.
He missed the last two months of the season due to a wrist on the right, but was encouraged by the way his knee resisted throughout the season.
“After the games, I didn’t really know what to expect. But you know, when I returned against Minnesota for the first time in this pre-season match, I was a little surprised that I move,” said Ball. “I feel like I’m improving during the year. Unfortunately, I had to face my wrist, but when it comes to my knee, it was pretty good. ”
Ball, the second global choice of Los Angeles Lakers during the 2017 draft, stayed one year on his contract with a team option for the 2026-27 season.
Cleveland had a need for the leader after Ty Jerome signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. Leaving Darius Garland is expected to miss the start of the regular season after undergoing surgery on his big left toe last month.
The riders had the second best NBA record at 64-18 but were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference by the Indiana Pacers in five games.
Ball has not yet participated in an eliminatory match during the six seasons he played, which he hopes will change.
“When you start in September or October, you can’t look too far. But they were 1 in the east of last year, so everyone knows it. It’s about a ring or nothing,” he said. “It’s just to make sure that I am ready to be as available as possible and put myself in the best position to end the strong season. Right now, it’s more than being in the bodybuilding room, making sure that my lower body is good and things like that.”
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