When LeBron James left the Cavaliers for a second time, the team had a small drought of missing the playoffs. They went four consecutive years missing the postseason. That all changed when Donovan Mitchell arrived in 2022-23.
Since then, the farthest Cleveland has made it is the East semi-finals. Even after the Cavs had the #1 seed in the East in the 2025 playoffs. This offseason, the team has tweaked its roster slightly. Cleveland completed a trade with the Bulls to acquire veteran PG Lonzo Ball. Recently, Cavs insider Chris Fedor said that Ball is turning heads at traning camp. The Cavaliers have their first preseason game on Tuesday, October 7, vs. Chicago.
How effective will Lonzo Ball be for the Cavaliers in 2025-26?
Lonzo Ball is reportedly turning heads at the Cavaliers training camp
“From what I continue to hear, Lonzo Ball is somebody who continues to turn heads. He continues to show how he can be an effective fit for this team. Obviously there are questions about how much is he going to… pic.twitter.com/3AuT1CMAJi
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 4, 2025
During the 2025 offseason, the Cavaliers traded Isaac Okoro to the Bulls in exchange for Lonzo Ball. Starting point guard Darius Garland is set to miss time to begin the 2025-26 season. He had toe surgery in June and is still recovering. While Garland is out, backup PG Lonzo Ball could see increased playing time. He appeared in 35 games and made 14 starts for the Bulls in 2024-25. That’s after Ball missed two full seasons due to a knee injury.
The 2025-26 season will begin in a few weeks, and the Cavaliers are excited to see Lonzo Ball’s production. For the first time in a long time, Ball has stayed healthy during the offseason and leading into the preseason. Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor reported that coaches are “wildly impressed” with his basketball IQ and work ethic.
Lonzo Ball at Cavs practice today.
Comeback season soon…⏳ pic.twitter.com/GTbq3n8Sr3
— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) October 6, 2025
Additionally, Chris Fedor shared that the veteran PG is proving he’s a better fit for the team than Isaac Okoro. At his best, Lonzo Ball offers stronger play-making and offensive consistency than Okoro could. That’s why the team made a trade to acquire Ball this offseason. When their team is at full strength, the Cavs hope Lonzo Ball can be an effective point guard off the bench.
This offseason, the team lost Ty Jerome in free agency. While Lonzo Ball will not have the same offensive firepower as Jerome, he can still be a key contributor off the bench. Jerome filled that role nicely for Cleveland in 2024-25. Lonzo Ball can control the offense for the second unit and be a gritty two-way player for the Cavaliers.
