Lakers Rumors: Lonzo Ball Will Join Any Team That Also Takes LaMelo And LiAngelo, LaVar Ball Says
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball will move to an NBA team that would also sign his two brothers LaMelo and LiAngelo, according to his father and Big Baller Brand founder LaVar Ball.
Ball, 20, is the Lakers’ starting point guard and was the second overall pick of last year’s NBA draft. He entered the league with a bang, largely in thanks to his father’s marketing genius, but many basketball pundits have been underwhelmed by his performance, particularly his shooting and scoring, on the basketball court so far.
Ball is averaging 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33.9 minutes per game in only 36 games so far for the Lakers. He has been in and out of the lineup all season due to various injuries.
Lakers president Magic Johnson evidently has high hopes for Ball, declaring that the former UCLA standout will remain as the team’s starting point guard despite the acquisition of two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers during this year’s trade deadline, via UPROXX.
However, Lakers Nation cited LaVar’s recent interview with Lithuanian sports reporter Donatas Urbonas, reporting that LaVar said he wants all of his three sons to “play for the Lakers,” and that if it does not happen then Lonzo will leave the Lakers to join any NBA team that would sign LaMelo (16) and LiAngelo (19) together.
Here is a transcript of his comments, as per Lakers Nation.
“I want all three boys to play for the Lakers. But if that does not happen, I’m telling you the story what’s gonna happen first. If they don’t take Gelo this year, I bring Gelo back here (Prienani) to play with Melo for two years. Lonzo will be on his third year and I want to let every NBA team know, that Lonzo is not going to re-sign with the Lakers but will go to any team that will take all three of my boys. That’s my plan.”
The New York Post’s Zach Braziller called LaVar’s comments as a “delusional ultimatum” that is a threat to the Lakers organization. Braziller said that the idea was unrealistic since Lonzo will only be a free agent three seasons after his rookie year, and would be a restricted one at that.
Lonzo Ball finds himself in the middle of another controversy courtesy of his father https://t.co/gRMZaxKCgy
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) February 12, 2018
LaVar implied that LaMelo and LiAngelo do not have to go through any draft and could simply be picked up by NBA teams as free agents, which is “incorrect,” according to Yahoo! Sports’ Ben Rohrbach.
Here’s more of LaVar’s comments, via the New York Post.
“We don’t have to go [to] any draft. Just sign [them] in free agency. You don’t have to give Gelo $15 million. So now you win championship after championship on [the] fact my boys will never leave. That’s what I mean, championship, championship, championship. But what’s better than three Ball boys together? The Big Three. That’s the original Big Three.”
Rohrbach said that LaVar’s plan is “not plausible” because with Ball becoming a restricted free agent, the Lakers has the right to “match any deal he (Lonzo) signs.” That plan would only become a reality if the Lakers themselves would agree to let go of Lonzo and let him play with his brothers anywhere they want.
