ESPN’s Chad Ford reported earlier today that sources believe the Lakers moved “closer and closer” over the weekend to making Lonzo Ball their pick at No. 2, Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report shares a similar sentiment in his latest column. According to Ding, the Lakers are “nearing a final decision” to use the second overall pick on Ball.
Team sources tell Ding that there are still some additional discussions and final planning that will take place before the Lakers are on the clock on Thursday, but Ball’s second pre-draft meeting with the club on Friday was a productive one. An “appreciation for Ball’s all-around upside” has emerged within the Lakers in recent weeks, according to Ding.
Here are a few more Lakers-related notes and rumors:
- There are ongoing questions within the Lakers’ organization about how D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle take criticism, team sources tell Ding within the article linked above. Neither player advanced as far in 2016/17 as Luke Walton had hoped, according to Ding, who says Russell was “inconsistent with his professionalism” while Randle “often lost messages given to him if they were delivered harshly.”
- Trading Jordan Clarkson for a current or future draft pick would make “a ton of sense” for the Lakers, given their desire to continue stockpiling assets and maintaining cap flexibility, says Ding. Clarkson is rumored to be on the trade block.
- Ding also touches on the LeBron James rumors that have surfaced within the last week or two, citing sources who say that James’ wife would like to live in Los Angeles full-time. Multiple recent reports have suggested that LeBron opting out and joining one of the L.A. teams in 2018 is a possibility.
- League sources tell Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link) that the Lakers have expressed no interest in trading the No. 2 overall pick at this juncture. We heard last week that L.A. was “taking and making calls” related to that selection, but it seems those calls may not be happening anymore.
- Mark Medina of The Orange County Reigster spoke to former Gonzaga big man Zach Collins following his Monday workout with the Lakers, suggesting that Collins will likely only be on L.A.’s radar if the team makes a trade. We heard this morning that the Lakers may be trying to acquire a second lottery pick.
Nets should trade their lowest first for Clarkson.
Brooklyn should probably just hold off on making trades, it hasn’t gone too well for them
Lakers should only trade clarckson for a lottery pick. JC is valuable but for the lakers to flip a 2nd rounder to a lottery pick is necessary in a rebuild. Yet again if LeBron comes the rebuild is instantly over
LeBron ain’t going nowhere. His wife and moms didn’t want him to leave Miami either. Dude actually likes living in Ohio and has the rest of his life to enjoy LA. Stop it.
Then tell the rumors to stop. Because we only base it on what the sources say
How do you know where LeBron wants to live and what his mother or wife thinks? GTFO with your BS speculations.
Not my BS speculations. Tell the media that. I never expect the Lakers to get lebron lol
Lakers better hope they get Paul George and he don’t like the team he get traded too
“Randle often lost messages given to him if they were delivered harshly.” Then STOP delivering the messages harshly. Anyone in management knows that you have to deliver news to different people in different ways. In an ideal world, everyone would just fall into place and learn in the same way, but this world is far from ideal.
The message was play defense develop
A jump shot and you’re right hand or
Get traded!!
Ball will be MVP in 2 years.
Lavar is that you?! LOL
I’m dead serious, I’m not like most of you who just look at what a player can’t be. Watch Lonzo lead the Lakers to the playoffs next season.
Dude when your wrong witch you will be will you admit it because the kid has bust all over him not because of his dad but his cockiness thinking he’s the best ever he’s a joke and choked in big games and has a bad NBA shot
Yea he’ll be an MVP that gets 50 dropped on him ever night
LOLOL!!!!
Lakers should take Fox… George/Fox/Russell/Randle core would be nice for them in 2018. Ball is overrated and I feel like Fox has legit superstar potential.
They both have superstar potential but in this day and age ball movement is a must and Ball can swing that rock and find cutters with ease as well as penetrate and dump it off to Randle or Zubac. Fox will be a scoring point guard while Ball will be pass first, I trust Ball will he a better decision maker and thats what made Magic so special in his prime. Ball makes the right pass and dont bring up Fox’s 39 point game, it was one game and they barely lost.
I still think the Lakers should take Jackson/Fox over Ball at 2. If they want Ball, I think they should try to trade with Phoenix, and see if they can grab an extra asset. Phoenix has to be looking hard at Jackson, and I’m sure they’d love to leapfrog Boston to take him, but obviously, that’s just my own speculation
The suns want ball so that wouldn’t work the C’s would be the best bet if that was the case but there’s nothing worth it for ether team
Ya I don’t buy that they want Ball. That seems like a smokescreen. Jackson is the obvious best fit for them. Fox fits better too. That team needs defense and athleticism, preferably on the wing, but they’d move Bledsoe and build super young if they take Fox. Ball probably does fit offensively, but that doesn’t seem necessary on a team that has multiple guards. If anythibg, Isaac is a better fit than Ball for Phoenix
I don’t buy the rumors that Lebron would ever leave Cleveland (again). Why would he make such a big deal about coming home just to leave again?
Things that seem like the right thing to do for us, doesn’t translate the same to professional athletes.
Ego’s, Money and Chips
My favorite Lonzo quote yet is “there were too many white guys on the team” big words for a fake black kid with acne
Fake black kid? Jealous much?
On this day of the NBA draft, I have two words for my beloved Lakers “D’Aaron Fox”