Shams: Lonzo for Okoro

[DuckIII]

Also another fallout of this, isnt this just an upgraded version of Dalen Terry? What role does Dalen serve on the team now? We picked up his team option for $5.4M next year…I don’t see a path to him getting minutes. Nor do I see anyone looking to trade for him.

A massive upgrade to Terry, yes it is.

I forgot about this one huge positive of the trade: no more Dalen Terry making me want to pull an Oedipus (minus the incest part).

I now have moved from a neutral opinion to the positive feelings column.

[HomoSapien]

Whenever I'd get mad that we drafted Pat I would tell myself, "at least we didn't draft Okoro." So, there's that.

[MrSparkle]

Read on Twitter

Cavs are laughing so hard right now. Thanks Bulls for getting us under the 2nd apron next year (and possibl6 this year) without us having to give away draft capital and getting a useful player back!!!

I literally had a thread on their situation and how even Okoro’s contract is problematic.

This is the thing. Even if Okoro for injury-prone Lonzo is a decent trade, every single time Bulls can have leverage in a trade, they don’t take it.

[Dominator83]

Ball had a team option for 2026, Okoro’s deal is guaranteed and cuts into that coveted summer 2026 cap space AKME keep emphasizing. Half measures.

We aren’t going after any big free agents in 2026.

Yea the real bright side is, the more money we had next summer, the more we would overpay for B-listers.

[Dan Z]

The saddest thing about this trade is the fact that it has a hit or miss type aspect to it. And if it does hit, it's in fact even worse for the future than if it turns out bad.

Okoro isn't capable of really helping you advance in the playoffs. But hs is capable of eating minutes from struggling young guys, aka Matas or Noa.

He helps you raise the floor and that's the worst possible outcome. Make the play in, lose, repeat.

Nobody eats Matas' minutes.

This is a direct competitor to PATRICK WILLIAMS.

Noa is frankly too raw to see the floor.

PW hasn't been good, but how does burying him on the bench help this team? His value goes down even more?

I guess that would make him even more difficult to trade than it is now.

That would be ok if the team was a real contender and if Okoro had more potential (besides a solid 3&D player). But theyre not contenders and his potential is limited.

[Chi town]

I like what Gottlieb said…

This raises our floor but lowers our ceiling as it takes mins from Buz and Noa.

Let me say it again…

AK wants to win not build a winner.

[GoBlue72391]

At this rate I'm expecting to see something like a straight swap of Coby White for Collin Sexton.

[nomorezorro]

My issue is that even if they rehab Okoro’s value, which again is a decent bet, he’ll be worth what - the 1st rounder they passed on at the trade deadline? At the very most?

And if they keep him through the life of his contract, they’ll have a piece that fits the Bulls’ play style through two play-in/lower seed playoff campaigns. That’s just not something I value.

But for the sake of argument, let’s call the Memphis offer spilled milk and assume Lonzo is no longer worth a 1st (for whatever reason). In that case, sure, I guess this is an okay trade.

yeah, i definitely get the "to what end?" of it all. but for me, that's baked into pretty much everything the team does at this point. either we were going to push for a low-seed playoff appearance with isaac okoro, or we were gonna do it with lonzo ball.

might as well roll with the younger guy who could see his game juiced a level by playing the type of basketball we're trying to play. at this point i'm so hard up for a clear-headed front office that i'll take any sense of a coherent ethos, even if i don't actually think it's a good roster-building strategy. maybe okoro turns into a solid rotation piece here. maybe you flip that at some point for another decent asset, or maybe you luck into a situation where you'd actually want to keep him. i dunno. it's something.

[Daxel]

So many overreactions. Lonzo will play less than half season for the Cavs, I don't know why there is this idea that Lonzo was going to get the Bulls something better, he can't stay healthy and is walking around with a repaired knee. The Bulls got a guy that at least will play and is a good defender.

[nomorezorro]

Read on Twitter

Cavs are laughing so hard right now. Thanks Bulls for getting us under the 2nd apron next year (and possibl6 this year) without us having to give away draft capital and getting a useful player back!!!

I literally had a thread on their situation and how even Okoro’s contract is problematic.

This is the thing. Even if Okoro for injury-prone Lonzo is a decent trade, every single time Bulls can have leverage in a trade, they don’t take it.

the cavs save $1 million this year doing this trade. they are still $9 million over the second apron.

[greenwing]

Despite being on the team for four season and being given a 2-year extension, Lonzo Ball only played in 70 official games as a Bull and has never played a single playoff game in his career. Okoro is younger, less injury-prone (at least compared to Lonzo) and actually plays a position of need as a backup 2/3. If the plan was to re-sign Giddey and attempt to bring back Jones then this allows us the flexibility to do so. The only thing I don't like about this is the second year is guaranteed while Lonzo's contract had a team option. But other than that it's not a bad move, it just doesn't move the needle a ton.

[Tetlak]

The saddest thing about this trade is the fact that it has a hit or miss type aspect to it. And if it does hit, it's in fact even worse for the future than if it turns out bad.

Okoro isn't capable of really helping you advance in the playoffs. But hs is capable of eating minutes from struggling young guys, aka Matas or Noa.

He helps you raise the floor and that's the worst possible outcome. Make the play in, lose, repeat.

Nobody eats Matas' minutes.

This is a direct competitor to PATRICK WILLIAMS.

Noa is frankly too raw to see the floor.

PW hasn't been good, but how does burying him on the bench help this team? His value goes down even more?

I guess that would make him even more difficult to trade than it is now.

That would be ok if the team was a real contender and if Okoro had more potential (besides a solid 3&D player). But theyre not contenders and his potential is limited.

To me here's the history with motivating Pat:

- Drafted him high, gave him all the opportunity in the world to start and play. Didn't work.

- Stuck with him through injuries, rewarded him with a big extension (undeservedly). Didnt work.

- Benched him! This is still new, so too early to tell.
- Brought in a direct competitor in position and role

The way I see it, this is the last ditch effort to motivate Pat if we're gonna be "stuck" with him.

[MGB8]

Cavs are laughing so hard right now. Thanks Bulls for getting us under the 2nd apron next year (and possibl6 this year) without us having to give away draft capital and getting a useful player back!!!

I literally had a thread on their situation and how even Okoro’s contract is problematic.

This is the thing. Even if Okoro for injury-prone Lonzo is a decent trade, every single time Bulls can have leverage in a trade, they don’t take it.

the cavs save $1 million this year doing this trade. they are still $9 million over the second apron.

Yeah, the def help is next year when they can clear Lonzo, but even a 1 M savings this year may help get under in conjunction with/ other moves.

[HomoSapien]

Again, the fact that we passed on that Grizzlies trade to do this one really sucks. Had we done it, we walk away with Essengue and KJ in the draft and start to finally feel good about this team and the direction of the rebuild.

[boozapalooza]

If anyone wants to feel better about this move, I HIGHLY recommend checking out See Red Fred’s twitter. He loves the move and gives good rationale behind it. Okoro may just be a guy with a lot of untapped potential who needed a change of scenery. Clevelands also a very slow tempo team which does not mesh with Okoro’s offensive game. We added much needed physicality and defense here.

[The Box Office]

Fine with trading away Lonzo Ball, but (if true), why didn't AKME take the 1st round pick?

This confirms that AKME does NO SCOUTING, NO HOMEWORK, they do absolutely nothing. Their lowly minions do all that.
AKME is not interested any draft whatsoever though. Turning away a 1st rounder?

Isaac Okoro is bottom of the barrel talent, inches away from departing the NBA. For good.

That's AKME. "Turns away 1st round picks. Cash considerations? You got it."

[ChiTownHero1992]

Did just go from a glutony of Ball dominant guards to a glutony of bust wings?

Ayo, Coby, Ball, Giddey, Carter but now Okoro, Pat, Terry, Phillips

[GoBlue72391]

So many overreactions. Lonzo will play less than half season for the Cavs, I don't know why there is this idea that Lonzo was going to get the Bulls something better, he can't stay healthy and is walking around with a repaired knee. The Bulls got a guy that at least will play and is a good defender.

We turned down a 1st at the deadline. I'd rather have a 1st than Okoro, easily.

[NecessaryEvil]

Read on Twitter

Cavs are laughing so hard right now. Thanks Bulls for getting us under the 2nd apron next year (and possibl6 this year) without us having to give away draft capital and getting a useful player back!!!

I literally had a thread on their situation and how even Okoro’s contract is problematic.

Laughing hard wtf?? Our guy doesn’t even play

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

My issue is that even if they rehab Okoro’s value, which again is a decent bet, he’ll be worth what - the 1st rounder they passed on at the trade deadline? At the very most?

And if they keep him through the life of his contract, they’ll have a piece that fits the Bulls’ play style through two play-in/lower seed playoff campaigns. That’s just not something I value.

But for the sake of argument, let’s call the Memphis offer spilled milk and assume Lonzo is no longer worth a 1st (for whatever reason). In that case, sure, I guess this is an okay trade.

yeah, i definitely get the "to what end?" of it all. but for me, that's baked into pretty much everything the team does at this point. either we were going to push for a low-seed playoff appearance with isaac okoro, or we were gonna do it with lonzo ball.

might as well roll with the younger guy who could see his game juiced a level by playing the type of basketball we're trying to play. at this point i'm so hard up for a clear-headed front office that i'll take any sense of a coherent ethos, even if i don't actually think it's a good roster-building strategy. maybe okoro turns into a solid rotation piece here. maybe you flip that at some point for another decent asset, or maybe you luck into a situation where you'd actually want to keep him. i dunno. it's something.

Looking at what’s likely to be the roster through 2027, Okoro is a decent fit, and as a Matas and Noa believer I can even squint and see how a defense-into-offense transition guy who attempts five 3s per 36 would help their development.

So yeah, to your point, if we accept the (probably fatal) flaws in Ak’s approach to team building as a fact of life, it’s hard to argue that this is a bad move. Especially if you’re as skeptical of Lonzo ever again playing 60+ games as I am.