Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, De'Andre Hunter, Max Strus, and Dean Wade have each spent their fair share of time in trade rumors and speculation. None of them are actually the player most likely to be on the move ahead of the looming deadline. That would be Lonzo Ball.
Chris Fedor said as much, revealing his thoughts on the matter in a recent write-up for cleveland.com. The Cavaliers insider reaffirmed the front office's disinterest in a 'drastic shake-up.' Fedor mentioned that Hunter, Wade, and the core four — who have all received interest from opposing teams — should be staying put.
Fedor wrote, "That leaves Lonzo Ball as the most likely departure. ... Ball’s team-friendly contract might be the best way for Cleveland to extract value from a summer swap that hasn’t gone according to plan."
The Cavs reporter brought up potential targets like Naji Marshall or Jose Alvarado being on the other end of a deal involving Ball. A move with Lonzo getting sent out of Cleveland clearly stands out as the most logical way for the Cavaliers to improve the foundation they continue to prioritize.
Lonzo Ball’s fit in Cleveland has never looked more expendable
To put it plain and simple, Ball has not been very good for the Cavaliers in 2025-26. The Cavs backup guard was clearly passed up by Craig Porter Jr. in the rotation. In recent games, even Tyrese Proctor has gotten priority over the veteran guard at times. The writing is on the wall.
There is an argument that moving on from Ball in the offseason could help the Cavaliers finances then. However, Cleveland could also get important short-term relief from the luxury tax by dealing him before the deadline too.
Granted, that type of move would require trading Ball for very little in return. If Dan Gilbert does not care about picking up the bill for the luxury tax, getting a playoff contributor in exchange for Lonzo may be the best way to navigate the trade deadline.
That was supposed to be what the former Chicago Bulls guard was brought in for. There was a lot of excitement regarding what Ball could do for the Cavs in the postseason with his defense and playmaking. The negatives have just been too much to overcome.
If the Cavaliers front office is willing to go all-in on this group, pairing Ball with draft capital should help bolster the squad. That would be the best move this franchise could make during the season itself.