In July, the Chicago Bulls traded guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Isaac Okoro.
During his 287 games since entering the NBA from UCLA as the second pick in the 2017 draft, Ball has averaged 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest. During his 334 games since entering the NBA from Auburn as the fifth pick in the 2020 draft, Okoro has averaged 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest.
Those statistics might not line up favorably for Okoro, but the Bulls acquired him for a reason not illustrated by those numbers.
“Among other skill sets, he brings the toughness to the defense that we want to cultivate,” said Arturas Karnisovas, Chicago’s vice president of basketball operations, as the Bulls opened training camp this week.
Last season, Chicago yielded an average of 119.4 points per game. Only the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans were easier to score against. The Bulls defense also had a turnover total that was second-from-worst in the NBA in the 2024-25 season.
Chicago coach Billy Donovan said he thought Okoro’s style of play could rub off on his new teammates.
“There’s things that he’s really good at that we need to get better at,” Donovan said, “and I think there’s an example those guys can look at. So I think he’s able to help from that standpoint. But to put all the physicality just on him, I think there’s no way he could do that. But I do think him knowing the league, him guarding some of the best players in the league, and the other part of it, too, is I think the way he plays off ball screens in the pick and roll, him going to the offensive glass, those are things we need to get better at. He’s good at those things.
“That can be, I think, a great tool and could be a great example for a lot of our younger guys.”
Okoro said hustling, hard-nosed defense can be “definitely contagious.”
“If you see one of your teammates dive on the ground, go for a loose ball, they’re playing hard,” Okoro said, “like, you don’t want to be the guy that is out there looking like they’re not playing hard. …
“I take a lot of responsibility into bringing a lot of physicality to this team. You know, my first five years in the league, that’s typically what I did for Cleveland. Pride myself on the defensive side and being physical and just guarding the other team’s best player and just trying to cause havoc on that end.”
Despite their poor defensive numbers, the Bulls got a play-in opportunity at the NBA playoffs. But the Miami Heat eliminated Chicago 109-90 after the Bulls had surged to win 15 of their final 20 regular-season games to finish with a 39-43 record.
Of the eight players who averaged at least 25 minutes of court time with Chicago last season, six return. While the Bulls work out where Okoro fits best with their returning players and 2025 first-round draft pick Noa Essengue, Donovan said he has appreciated Okoro’s attitude.
“The one thing, I think, I’ve respected right away about him in the conversations we’ve had is everything that he talks about is always we, which I admire,” Donovan said. “Like a lot of times, you know, ‘What’s my role?’ Or they get into what they need to do. He’s really talking more about: How do I impact a team? What do you need? What does the team need to be? Who do we need to be? And I respect that.
“I’ve always had great admiration for him when he was at Cleveland. We saw them a lot, you know. He always guarded the other team’s best player. He’s physical. I do think on Cleveland’s team, there probably, with Donovan Mitchell and (Darius) Garland and (Evan) Mobley, there maybe wasn’t a lot of opportunity offensively. I think he’s worked hard on his shooting from the corners. He’s gotten better in that area.
“I do think the toughness and the physicality he brings will help our team. I think in my conversations with him, he’s just a veteran guy with a lot of experience, and he’s gained a lot of experience while still being relatively young. So I really have enjoyed being around him. And I would say the thing that comes to mind to me, he’s a total team guy.”
The Bulls tip off their five-game preseason schedule against Okoro’s former team when Chicago travels to play the Cavaliers at 6 p.m. CDT Tuesday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
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