Cavaliers to Sit Lonzo Ball Out of Back-to-Backs Early in Season

Lonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls gestures during an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on January 08, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images)

By Avery Torff | Oct 7, 2025 | 12:35 PM |

The Cleveland Cavaliers will manage Lonzo Ball’s minutes carefully by playing him roughly 20 minutes per game and sitting him out of one game during back-to-back sets, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

The plan was put together by the organization’s decision-makers alongside Ball and the medical staff to help ease him into the season after his 2024-25 return from a two-and-a-half year absence.

“Back-to-backs are off the table for right now,” Ball said on Monday. “Doesn’t mean it’s off the table for the whole year, but definitely the start.”

Ball was limited to 35 games in 2021-22 before a knee injury ended his season and led to three surgeries, keeping him sidelined for nearly three years. He made his return last season but saw restricted playing time with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 22.2 minutes in 35 games and sitting out the second game of all back-to-back sets. While he did have a couple of extended absences, they stemmed from wrist problems, not his knee.