Lonzo Ball Says He Was Cavs' 'Scapegoat' Amid Fan Criticism After Jazz Trade at NBA Deadline

Former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Lonzo Ball referred to himself as a "scapegoat" when discussing the end of his tenure with the organization.

"I know I'm the scapegoat right now but that comes with the name, though," Ball said during Tuesday's Ball In The Family podcast.

"Can I play better? Yes," he added. "Have I been playing terrible? I don't think I have. I've been shooting bad."

Cleveland traded Ball to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team swap on Feb. 4 before Utah waived him and allowed him to hit free agency.

He initially joined the Cavaliers in a trade with the Chicago Bulls during the 2025 offseason and was expected to operate as a key piece in their backcourt rotation following the departure of Ty Jerome in free agency.

Cleveland struggled with consistency in the first half of the year, sitting at just 22-19 through 41 games after wrapping up a 64-18 finish during its 2024-25 campaign.

As the Cavs dealt with injuries to several players including Darius Garland and Max Strus as well as Evan Mobley, Ball struggled to make an impact off the bench.

He averaged 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting just 30.1 percent from the field and 27.2 percent from behind the arc.

Although Ball remained sharp defensively, his poor shooting hurt Cleveland's overall efficiency.

The Cavaliers owned a 118.2 offensive rating with Ball off the court, which dropped down to a 111.0 offensive rating with him on the floor (via NBA.com).

Cleveland ended up making a major backcourt addition on the trade market ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline, sending Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for James Harden.

The Cavs have won each of their first three games with Harden and currently sit at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference standings with a 34-21 overall record.

As for Ball, he's available to sign with a new team before the 2025-26 season comes to a close.