Lonzo Ball is officially a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The former UCLA star was taken second overall by the Lakers in Thursday’s NBA Draft, and head coach Luke Walton is happy about the outcome with a new point guard coming to Los Angeles.
After the team had selected Ball, Walton spoke with Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet about his thoughts on the team going with the former Bruins floor general at No. 2:
Just talked to Luke Walton, who said Lakers took Lonzo b/c he "changes the game." We'll have more on our draft show at 6 on @SpectrumSN
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) June 23, 2017
Although there has been a lot of speculation about the intentions of the Lakers brass heading into draft day, Ball appears to have been the choice all along. Walton claims Lonzo is the one player the team wanted, via Bresnahan:
What was it like in Lakers' war room when Lonzo was selected? "We were excited because he was the one we wanted," Walton said.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) June 23, 2017
With Ball now set to wear purple and gold, the 19-year-old will likely be tasked with being the starting point guard for the storied franchise moving forward. D’Angelo Russell is headed to Brooklyn as a result of the team’s recent trade to acquire Brook Lopez opening up the spot as the backcourt leader.
The question now is who will be playing alongside Ball next season. The rumors continue to swirl about the team potentially still looking to make trades either to move up in the draft or acquire a proven star like Paul George of the Indiana Pacers.
As of right now, Ball and Lopez are the new additions to the Lakers franchise, but more moves could be on the way with the team still possessing two more first-round picks (27, 28) in the draft.
