The Chicago Bulls made a one-for-one trade this offseason, player for player, something that doesn't happen all that often in the NBA.
They sent Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliaers for Isaac Okoro.
And a month into the season, Bleacher Report has listed that as what should be the Bulls' biggest regret of the offseason.
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This is what B/R's Zach Buckley wrote:
Back in February, the Bulls had a chance to flip Lonzo Ball for a first-round pick. They kept him around instead and inked him to a two-year, $20 million extension.
Come July, Chicago relented and sent Ball packing. Surely, the club simply reacted to an offer too rich to refuse? Nope. After watching him miss the 2024-25 campaign's final two months with a sprained wrist, the Bulls dealt him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro and...nothing else.
Okoro is fine, but his all-defense skill set and offensive limitations have always led to a role reduction come playoff time. And it's not like the Bulls had a glaring need on the wings, since Matas Buzelis looks like a rising star, Kevin Huerter can handle a rotational role, they're forever committed to Patrick Williams, and they just spent a lottery pick on Noa Essengue (No. 12).
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Ball isn't the perfect setup for the Cavs. He has to sit out second games in back-to-backs. That's because he missed consecutive seasons before finally returning to the court to play for the Bulls in 2024-25 after lots of knee trouble.
But Buckley's point is fair: Okoro has already been proven as a flawed player who has limited upside.
Ball's creation has helped Cleveland in multiple games already, especially when Darius Garland has been out.
Okoro has had a few higher-than-usual scoring outputs, but the Bulls probably didn't have to do this deal.
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