It's just terribly obvious at this point that the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a true heist when they were able to acquire Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls earlier this month.
In case anyone had forgotten (not likely but what's wrong with being charitable?), the Cavs made a rare one-for-one swap in getting Ball. They were able to get Chicago to agree to only taking back Isaac Okoro in exchange for Lonzo.
I mean, getting a former number two overall pick in exchange for a guy you can argue peaked four seasons ago in his rookie year is already a crazy circumstance. But it's also the latest instance of the Bulls' front office really making less out of more.
Not even having to send back a single draft pick in exchange for Ball was a massive win for Cleveland's front office. They got a guy who, although he's been hit with an extended stretch of bad injuries, still has great potential and the physical tools to be an impact player on a winning team.
The Lonzo Ball trade was a heist for Cleveland
I recently wrote about Lonzo's potential impact for this Cavaliers team, and I think there's a lot to be excited about. Sure, fans will probably want to temper their expectations in some way shape or form. Don't think that right out of the gate you're going to get 2022 Lonzo. But I also think there's ways in which Ball could outshine the expectations, too.
Thinking about his defensive impact and the way that he can affect games from an immediate standpoint, Lonzo's going to step on the hardwood in a Cleveland uniform for the first time and be one of the best defenders on the roster right away. He's going to bring a tremendous defensive presence to the perimeter and make life easier for Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and the crew.
I don't think it's super unreasonable to think he could be the Cavs' version of Alex Caruso. A smart guy who has good physical tools and plays with a defense-first mindset. And all that's just in the immediate time frame.
Once you start to think to the future, things become even more interesting. Ball played just 35 games last season in Chicago after more than two years away from the NBA game. His athletic performance clearly took a hit, but that lull is only temporary. He's still 27 years old, in the middle of his athletic prime. A bit more game reps and he'll be back to closer to the level he was at before.
All this is not meant to disrespect Isaac Okoro's game whatsoever. But at the same time, it's just so clear that Cleveland really did something special with trading for Lonzo Ball.