The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a savvy move by acquiring Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis. Not only did they manage to land two of the most sought-after assets in the league, but they also got under the second apron while doing so. They didn't even need to give up draft capital to pull it off.
However, as much as the front office deserves all the praise in the world for this move, this just isn't enough. Sometimes, a team can add by subtraction, and that's likely going to be the case with the Cavs and Lonzo Ball.
Ball has been the worst player on the team by a significant margin this season. Now that the Cavs have crowded their already-stacked backcourt with two additions, there's simply no reason to keep him on the roster.
Cavaliers must get rid of Lonzo Ball ahead of the trade deadline
Even if Ball weren't shooting a league-worst 27.2 percent from beyond the arc, there might not be enough minutes to throw around here. Donovan Mitchell leads the team at 33.9 minutes a night, Darius Garland averages 30.5 minutes a night, and he's expected back at some point.
Then, among the guards, we find Sam Merrill (25.6), Lonzo Ball (20.8), and Craig Porter Jr, (17.8). The trade will probably bump rookie guard Tyrese Proctor (10.8 minutes) out of the rotation, as Schroder is averaging 26.4 minutes and Ellis takes the court for 17.6 minutes a night.
More than that, Ball has become a redundant player in Cleveland. The Cavs now have a floor general to run the second offense in Schroder, who's also a much more gifted and streaky scorer. As for Ellis, he's a much more efficient 3-point shooter while being as good a perimeter defender.
On paper, Lonzo Ball seemed to be a tailor-made fit for this organization.
Barring injury, he was expected to provide everything this team clearly needed: grit, defense, a true playmaker, and 3-and-D tenacity off the bench. He was supposed to take a lot of shot-creation pressure off Darius Garland's shoulders.
For whatever reason, that hasn't been the case.
Ironically, he's been much healthier than in recent years, but that has rarely done anything to help the Cavs' case. Sometimes gambles don't pay off; that's just part of the business. Now, it's time to cut the losses and find another home for the former second overall pick from the 2017 NBA Draft.