LaVar Ball: Lonzo Ball Will Sign New Contract For Less Money In Order To Help Lakers Improve Team

Matthew Moreno
4 Min Read
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to and since the Los Angeles Lakers selected Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, his father, LaVar Ball, has regularly made outlandish claims. They ranged from raving about Lonzo’s talent to the Lakers no longer wanting to play for head coach Luke Walton.

Beyond praising Lonzo, another of LaVar’s favorite talking points has been how his younger children, LiAngelo and LaMelo, would also wind up on the Lakers. In February, LaVar said Lonzo would not re-sign with the team if LiAngelo and LaMelo weren’t eventually added to the roster.

The first step toward that becoming a possibility, however remote, lies with LiAngelo. Despite being pulled out of his freshman season at UCLA, the 19-year-old entered into the 2018 NBA Draft. He’s begun team workouts and will go through a private session with the Lakers.

As for Lonzo’s contractual situation that will come to a head a few years down the line, LaVar maintains his son would accept less money on a new deal in effort to help the Lakers add talent, per Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype:

Assuming the Lakers exercise the options on Lonzo’s contract, he will remain with the team through the 2020-21 NBA season. At that point they would face a similar situation as to what Julius Randle is going through this summer as a restricted free agent.

Since drafting Lonzo, the Lakers have made it clear they intend for him to play a pivotal role in the franchise returning to its previous heights. How free agency unfolds this summer could change that, which would make LaVar’s remarks about signing for less a moot point.

Lonzo averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game this season, earning him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. The Lakers are hopeful he will build upon a successful rookie season, particularly in the weight room.

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com