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Cavaliers trade Lonzo Ball, draft picks to Utah Jazz ahead of deadline
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- Cavaliers trade Lonzo Ball, draft picks to Utah Jazz ahead of deadline
CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers ' trade deadline activity and repositioning to get under the NBA's second apron has taken a second step.
The Cavs have agreed to deal guard Lonzo Ball and two second-round picks to the Utah Jazz , according to an ESPN report . The two second-round picks are being sent to Utah to facilitate the deal.
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The Cavs have confirmed the trade.
The Jazz are expected to waive Ball, according to an NBA on Prime report .
Ball had been among the league's worst shooters this season , effectively eliminating him from the regular rotation and making him a prime salary dump as the Cavs attempt to dip below the second apron , which would allow them to make a wider range of trades and other transactions.
That process began with the De'Andre Hunter trade to the Sacramento Kings , which not only brought back Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder but shaved roughly $50 million in cap and luxury tax savings. Still, the Cavs were around $14 million over the second apron, which in turn led to this trade involving Ball, who was making $10 million this season.
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These smaller moves related to cap space could be a precursor for a much larger trade, potentially involving either Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo or Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James .
The Cavs already pulled off one blockbuster move, sending Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for James Harden . Garland posted a message to Cleveland after the trade.
Lonzo Ball stats
Ball had a few positive spurts with the Cavaliers this season, but his recent shooting woes relegated him to a much smaller role. For the season, he's shooting just 30.1% from the floor. Among players with at least 50 shot attempts, that ranks dead last in the NBA .
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Lonzo Ball contract
Ball had a salary of $10 million for this season and a $10 million team option for 2026-2027.
Ryan Lewis covers the Cleveland Cavaliers and Guardians for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers, Jazz agree to trade involving Lonzo Ball, draft picks
