While the Lakers own the second overall pick in the NBA Draft, the team would not use it on UCLA product Lonzo Ball if the draft were today, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).
Schultz reports that Los Angeles is “not convinced he’s a star” and is concerned about Ball’s outspoken father, LaVar Ball. After the Lakers secured the second pick last month, the elder Ball told Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation that his son would only work out for the Lakers. “That’s all. Just the Lakers,” Ball said. “There’s nobody else that we need to work out for.”
Ball, 19, has long been connected to the Lakers, both due to his local ties as an Anaheim native and at the behest of his father. The younger Ball reportedly rejected a workout with the Celtics, who hold the first overall pick, and, despite his father’s past comments, is in the process of setting up a meeting with the 76ers, who own the third overall pick.
A June 7 workout with the Lakers is set for Ball, and it may have to be exceptional to change their mind. As previously reported by Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Lakers’ interest in Kansas’ Josh Jackson and Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox is growing and drafting Ball is far from a sure thing.
In his first and only season at UCLA, the 6’6″ point guard posted totals of 14.6 PPG and 7.6 APG in 36 contests.
lol fail by lavar
I think someone leaked this story on the lakers side to prevent phili from trading up to #1 to steal lonzo from the lakers.
Or it could be that the Lakers aren’t interested in having to deal with his dad and his antics. He may have to be better than great because of the background noise.
I doubt his dad has any influence on that. Apparently he was a great teammate at ucla so idk about all his background noise being a factor.
they just had too many white guys on the team at ucla right?
Trade! Phili has nothing the celtics want!
Every team in the league would fall over themselves for Porzingod.
Thinking they meant Philly and the Sixers, not Phil and the Knicks.
Not saying Philly would trade him but are you really suggesting the Celts wouldn’t want Jahlil Okafor, a 21 year old 6-11 center that can score in the post and protect the rim….the very thing the Celts couldn’t do vs the Cavs?
The question is, do the Celts have anything (that they would want to part with) to bridge the gap to get Okafor and the 3rd overall? Keep in mind they already had a MVP caliber in Isaiah and while they have reason to question his future it’s within their ability to keep him, and add a major free agent and maybe use the #1 pick to trade down and get another current nba semi-star and STILL grab a great prospect from a deep pool of talent at 3rd overall. They may decide to draft a need vs best available player. Maybe they can grab a great SF/PF player like Tatum, Jackson, Isaac or even Markkanen,
You know what might even be a better idea for the Celts, or even for the Lakers if they aren’t sold on Ball or Fultz? See if they can get the 5th and 10th pick from Sacramento. Even at #10 you can probably get an impact, if not star, player.
Okafor protects the rim???? LMMMMMMMAAAAAOOOOOO
Slowkafor! No defense can’t guard
The pick and roll So glad the Lakers
Passed on him! Lonzo to the Lakers!! June 22
Not only can’t he guard pick and roll, he doesn’t protect the rim, and is a ball stoppin big you need tk feed down low…was a good attempt by him to try to give him some value though lol
No as a Celtics fan I can assure you not only do I but neither do Danny or Brad have any interest in Okafor, your perception of the type of player Okafor is very inaccurate!
Oh you know Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens personally?
I think they might be up to 500 pairs of shoes sold. 3 billion dollars… what a joke this guy is. Feel bad for Lonzo.
I am not a Lakers fan. I actually don’t have a favorite NBA team. But if they pass on Ball, I will immediately become a Lakers fan. This would be so funny.
He would be better off going to the sixers than the lakers because he wouldn’t have to deal with the distractions of LA and being at home. He would also have better pieces around him in Simmons, embid, saric etc and he would be able to be the player he is a pass first point guard where as in the lakers he would be looked at an all around star player which he is not
Simmons unproven, saric up and down, embiid can’t stay healthy.. … exactly what’s better?
Even a pessimistic view of the Sixers roster makes it sound better than that Lakers cesspool.
What do the Lakers have right now that’s better than the Sixers young players?
In both cases (Lakers and Sixers) everyone is hedging on young and still developing players. Health aside, Sixers have just as much of a reason to be optimistic about Okafor, Embid and Saric than the Lakers should be about Russell, Randle and Ingram.
I don’t think that’s accurate. Randle would have to take a big step forward and Ingram was God awful last year compared to both Embiid and Saric. Philly just has to hope Embiid can stay healthy.
Ingram was a lot better late in the season, and showed legit promise. He was prettyraw, so I thought he did a good job for what his role was, and playing out of position too
Ingram is younger than a lot of the one and done guys in this years draft. He’ll grow into his body and his work ethic is on the same level as Kobe/Kawhi. I bet he turns out to be the best player out of all these prospects.
Philadelphia would tear this dude to pieces.
Smoke screen.
Grab Fox aka the next John Wall plz
Not even he’s more like kris Dunn.
Think Fox is the more explosive athlete between he and Dunn.
Josh Jackson will be a star in the NBA and the Lakers will regret taking Ball over him. I would laugh if Ball fell down to Sacremento…would serve LaVar right.
The Lakers will select Lonzo no doubt! Unless of course the celtics pick him 1st?
Jackson, PG13, Ingram, Russell, Zubac
Line-up that gets us back in the playoffs
Well that’s going to be quite a while.
I don’t understand why since the lottery, Fultz and Ball are consensus 1-2. It hasn’t been that way all season.
As it pertains to Lonzo, I dont know for sure about how he’s going to end up. He can’t play defense, isn’t a lengthy dude for his size, and I question if he’ll be a willing and able scorer in the NBA, as well as if his jumpshot will stay consistent b/c of the release point and likey susceptibility to getting the shot blocked. That being said, he is really fun to watch, seems like a good kid that legit likes to see his teammates success and make them better, despite his father, seems like a really good playmaker, a pretty good rebounder at his size, and is pretty athletic. I can’t say Jason Kidd right now, just b/c of his size, though I see some of young Kidd in there. To me, he reminds me more of Goran Dragic, but not as good a finisher at the rim, and less of his scoring mentality.
Based on the things his dad has said and will continue to say, especially when the 2 projected to be better younger brothers come out, he better be lebron lol. I do think he should at least have a pretty nice career, but I can’t say for sure he is a star.
Also, that lakers team is really bad defensively. Afdoing him won’t help. They also have an issue with too many 4s on the roster, and essentially zero of anyone that can/shpuld play the 3. It’s a weird situation. Both Fox and Jackson do make sense for them b/c of other moves they could theoretically make. The Lakers don’t really have any paint attacking players and both Fox and Jackson can get to the rim with ease, and set up teammates, as well as play defense. They both need to work on the jumpshot, obviously, but both showed improvement later in the year. I also person ally think they both have a shot to be top guys in this draft.
Ya definitely some decisions that are going to alter so many franchises the next ~5 years.
Well put.
I think that Jackson and Fox are the better fit for the lakers
Ball should stay in school, Right now I don’t think he is that good to b a top pk in the draft..His dad is going to kill his kid future.
I definitely think he should be a high pick, but I’m just not sure I’d take him over Josh Jackson, De’aaron fox, Jonathan Isaac, and Markelle Fultz. I’d probably take him over Tatum, unless I need an iso scorer at the 4/3 spots, which would make it a consideration. I would take him for sure over Monk, NtilikIna (I haven’t had a chance to check out much of any online games of him, so I only know what I’ve read/heard and how he’s looked in certain workouts), Dennis Smith, and Lauri Markkanenm so he’s definitely at least a mid-top 10 pick, if not a top 3 guy…if the jumpshot falls, he should be a star offensively
Ultimately, it could actually end up coming down to fit, or how teams feel like he can improve, b/c there is so much talent in the top 9 of this draft
His dad is going to turn him it NBA biggest bust I’m talking Ryan Leaf bust
I hope for the kids sake he makes it. But lavar is a problem and for a professional franchise that’s a problem most aren’t willing to take. Atleast the well ran ones.
I do agree Fox fits better and will probably mess better with Russell. And Jackson fits next to Russell and Ingram as well.
My own greedy self wants to c them take Ball so I can sit back and watch the circus
If the Lakers pass on Ball, I will have a regenerated respect for that team. Ball is not worth the trouble (specifically his dad isn’t worth it)
If Fultz and Jackson go 1-2 I can see the Sixers may look at trading back for #5 & #10 from the Kings. Don’t see Ball as a fit, personally think his shot doesn’t translate if he’s gotta use a step back against guys at 24hr Fitness…eh… So who falls to 5 Fox or Isaac. Tatum has an injury history don’t need that.
If Lavar thinks his son is an elite player why not workout for Boston since he obviously deserves to be the #1 overall pick in the draft. He’s probably worried Lonzo will get buried on the bench behind IT which will negatively impact his Big Baller Brand.