This summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Isaac Okoro for veteran point guard Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls. Lonzo presented an escape from a revolving door of backup point guards who never really fit what Cleveland needed.
With Darius Garland in the starting five, the Cavs' offense heavily depends on a maestro point guard who can dish out timely assists and collapse defenses with ball handling and dribbling drives to the hoop. Since the departure of Ricky Rubio years ago, Cleveland could never find a true pass-first point guard to lead the second unit.
Last year's Ty Jerome experiment elevated the bench scoring, but his tunnel vision on offense and poor defense led the Cavs to prioritize a player with Ball's skill set instead. Early this season, Lonzo's addition seemed to be perfect. While he wasn't scoring, his passing, defense and rebounding appeared to be an undeniably win in the Okoro trade.
Fast forward a few months, and Lonzo is completely out of the rotation. Coming off Cleveland's bench, Lonzo is averaging 5.2 points, 4.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. He was never expected to score in volume, but his rebounding and passing averages have been well worth the cost to acquire him. Still, his scoring has not only fallen, it has plummeted to worrisome lows.
Lonzo is shooting 29.9 percent from the field on 5.8 shots per game, and his three-point shooting is sitting at 25.6 percent on high volume. For perspective, Lonzo has the league's worst field-goal percentage of any guard who has played at least 10 minutes in at least five games this season. Two spots above him, legendary point guard Chris Paul, shot 32.1 percent from the field before his sudden removal from the Los Angeles Clippers.
When the Cavaliers traded Okoro, it was in large part due to his poor scoring and inability to demand defensive attention. Now, Lonzo is almost invisible on offense. Defenses do not care to guard him off-ball, hardly even keeping a player in front of him when he has the ball in his hands.
Lonzo Ball needs to earn his job back
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has made it clear: if Lonzo cannot help the offense, he won't play.
In his place, Craig Porter, Jr. has slotted into the backup point guard role and is delivering everything Cleveland wanted out of Lonzo. Porter has not stacked up points, but his passing, defense and rebounding have been game changers.
Against the Phoenix Suns on New Year's Eve, Porter posted two points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Two days earlier, he dropped another two points against the San Antonio Spurs alongside four assists, six rebounds and one block.
Despite Porter's undersized frame at 6-foot, his pesky defensive presence and endless motor allow him to play bigger. Additionally, the young guard has elite athleticism, leaping out of the gym to swat away shots, grab long rebounds and make crafty finishes around the hoop.
Lonzo Ball offered the Cavaliers an ideal point guard on paper. He is 6-foot-6, is one of the best rebounding backcourt players, has veteran experience and is a high-IQ playmaker who knows when his teammates are open before they do. On the hardwood, however, his previously undrafted counterpart is stealing his job in real time.
If Lonzo wants to get back in Kenny's good graces, he needs to wait for his moment and capitalize on it. The Cavs are likely to give Garland rest nights if his lingering turf toe recovery comes back to haunt him again. In that case, Ball will likely see a last chance to redeem his worth with the Cavaliers. While he does not need to score 30 points in 15 minutes to win Atkinson's trust, he needs to show offensive efficiency and punish lackluster defensive coverage.
Otherwise, failing to reclaim his position with the Cavs, Lonzo's problems go far beyond this season.
Lonzo's NBA future is at risk
Lonzo's contract has a team option worth $10 million for next season. With his disappearance from the lineup, the Cavs are certainly unlikely to pick up that final year. Sitting in the luxury tax's second apron, Cleveland cannot afford $10 million for an unplayable guard.
Much of Lonzo's NBA tumult has come by way of recurring injuries and health woes. The Cavaliers planned around his injury concerns to maximize his value and impact. So far, Lonzo has been entirely healthy and has not missed a game because of health.
If Ball's non-playing is not from injuries but because he cannot contribute to winning basketball, that spells much worse trouble for his 2026 offseason than anything injuries could. Every franchise outside of Cleveland has desperately avoided the second apron out of fear for falling into the same trap the Cavs are currently suffering.
Any underperforming player making more than a minimum contract is a major setback towards any NBA Finals aspirations.
Failing to salvage his Cleveland Cavaliers reputation not only means he is out of the wine and gold next summer, but it could put his chances of signing anywhere in jeopardy. If Chris Paul can lose his job mid-season with poor efficiency, Lonzo will certainly not escape the same consequence if he cannot save his career this year.