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Cavs’ Lonzo Ball could be held out of playing in back-to-backs in 2025-26
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated2 hours ago on August 08, 2025
Ahead of the 2025-26 season, the Cavaliers have new faces on the roster. That includes Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. In late June, Cleveland traded former top-five pick Isaac Okoro to the Bulls in exchange for Lonzo Ball.
This was a massive risk taken by the Cavs’ front office. Ball is a player who has missed significant time in recent years due to injury. The Cavaliers are betting on Ball staying healthy. He played in 35 games for Chicago in 2024-25 and made 14 starts. The veteran PG will run Cleveland’s second unit for head coach Kenny Atkinson.
The Cavaliers have a plan in place to keep Lonzo Ball healthy next season
I think Lonzo is going to be a very important piece to this Cavaliers roster, especially if DG misses games to start the season. Ball will be healthy and is capable of running the offense in that window of time. Then he can contribute well off the bench running the second unit. pic.twitter.com/pr7xucajHo
— Chris Ball at Loveland Magazine Sports Desk (@LovelandSportsG) August 2, 2025
In the 2017 draft, Lonzo Ball was the second overall pick by the Lakers. He played two seasons for Los Angeles before he was traded to New Orleans as part of the Anthony Davis deal. Ball played two seasons for the Pelicans before he signed with the Bulls ahead of the 2021-22 season. On Janurary 14, 2022, Lonzo Ball suffered a meniscus tear for the Bulls.
He had multiple procedures that forced him to miss the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Ball was sidelined for over 1,000+ games but made his return in Chicago’s first game of the 2024-25 season against the Pelicans. This offseason, Cleveland traded for the 27-year-old PG. Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor reported that the team has a plan in place for Ball next season.
The Cavaliers’ current projected rotation next season:
Starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Second Unit: Lonzo Ball, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, De’Andre Hunter, Larry Nance Jr.
Cleveland’s over/under win total is 55.5 pic.twitter.com/Ci2ZGgdhE2
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 28, 2025
Fedor reported that members of the organization are discussing keeping Ball out of back-to-back games. Cleveland wants to make a deep playoff run, and they’ll need Ball healthy. He’s replacing Ty Jerome, who signed with the Grizzlies this offseason. Jerome finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2024-25.
At his best, Lonzo Ball is a two-way PG who can provide a spark off the bench for the Cavaliers next season. However, it’s been an uphill battle for Ball to stay healthy. He did play in 35 games for the Bulls last season. For his career, Lonzo Ball averages 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The Cavaliers have taken a huge gamble that Ball will stay healthy and give them quality production off the bench.
