After the 2017 NBA Draft order was officially set, LaVar Ball, father of draft prospect Lonzo Ball, told Lakers Nation his son would only be working out for the Los Angeles Lakers. Ball landing his hometown team in Los Angeles seemed to be a very likely scenario, but now things may be changing with the draft less than a week away.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Ball may consider talking with other teams in the draft that have lottery picks:
Lonzo Ball is still considering talking to teams that have lottery picks below the Los Angeles Lakers, a source close to the former UCLA Bruins star told ESPN.
The Lakers brass has been doing their due diligence as the draft approaches. Magic Johnson and company have brought in Markelle Fultz, De’Aaron Fox, Josh Jackson, and Ball for workouts during their evaluation process with the consensus being that the former UCLA star will ultimately be their selection on draft day.
With the Lakers front office getting a look at all these other talented prospects, the narrative has begun to change. Speculation has run rampant in Los Angeles about their upcoming decision and now it’s possible that Ball may not be as confident as he once was that he’ll end up wearing the purple and gold.
On Friday, the Lakers are set to meet and work out Ball for a second time at an undisclosed location. It may prove to be Lonzo’s last chance to secure his future with the organization he grew up rooting for as his criticized conditioning and fitness will be put to the test once again.