The Utah Jazz have acquired Lonzo Ball in a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks but are expected to waive the veteran guard and allow him to become a free agent, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Cavaliers sent Ball and two second-round picks to the Jazz, who also received cash considerations from the Hawks in exchange for center Jock Landale, sources told Charania.
Ball became expendable in Cleveland after the Cavs landed guards James Harden and Dennis Schroder in separate trades over the past week. Cleveland sheds significant salary and gains tax savings by parting with Ball, who will now be able to test free agency.
The three-team trade came one day after Utah pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire Jaren Jackson Jr. in an eight-player deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. Landale was dealt from Memphis to Utah as part of that deal.
Ball made an unprecedented return from three arthroscopic knee surgeries last season, appearing in his first NBA game in over 1,000 days in October 2024. After a run of solid play, Ball was rewarded with a contract extension from the Chicago Bulls and then over the summer was traded to the Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro.
Ball, 28, has struggled in Cleveland, however, averaging a career-low 4.6 points while shooting just 30% from the field and below 30% from 3.
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