Lonzo Ball Reportedly Traded to Jazz After Cavs Land James Harden, Latest NBA Rumors on PG's Future

The Utah Jazz are staying busy.

The team reportedly acquired veteran point guard Lonzo Ball and a pair of second-round picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers, per ESPN's Shams Charania, though they are expected to waive him.

NBA insider Jake Fischer added:

From Cleveland's perspective, this was clearly a salary dump in an effort to slide under the second apron, though with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the market and the Cavs already acquiring James Harden for Darius Garland, it's possible the team isn't done wheeling and dealing.

The Harden trade was also likely about more than just upgrading the point guard position:

For awhile it's seemed as though the Cavaliers needed to take a long and hard look at whether the core group of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Garland truly had championship upside. The answer ahead of Thursday's deadline, thus far, is that the Cavs realized it was time for some changes.

Just how many changes remains to be seen.

Shedding Ball's salary is certainly a pathway toward making even bigger changes going forward. The 28-year-old point guard hasn't made a positive impact this season, averaging just 4.6 points and 3.9 assists in 20.8 minutes per game, shooting just 27.2 percent from three.

At this point, it's fair to question if Ball's lengthy injury history has seriously diminished his once-exciting upside. He'll now have the chance to hit the market and see if another team is interested in bringing aboard a veteran point guard.