Lakers Rumors: Lonzo Ball prefers Chicago or New York if traded
Recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors involve Lonzo Ball, who has preferred landing spots should the team trade him.
Los Angeles Lakers rumors have really taken off in recent days. With Anthony Davis informing the New Orleans Pelicans that he would not be signing a max extension with the team, the rumor mill has been in motion.
If the Lakers are going to acquire Davis prior to the NBA Trade Deadline, it will cost them a lot in the way of assets. A package of multiple young players and draft picks will have to be put together by the Lakers.
While the Pelicans are in no rush to move Davis, there have been reports of the players that they would like to acquire from Los Angeles. One of those players is Lonzo Ball.
Ball, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, is currently dealing with a Grade 3 ankle sprain. He will be sidelined a total of 4-6 weeks because of the injury. Despite the injury concerns Ball has carried in the NBA, he is a key part of what the Pelicans want in return for Davis. However, the feeling isn’t mutual.
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According to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, Ball’s preference would be to not land with the Pelicans in a trade. He would prefer a three-team deal that lands him in Chicago or New York.
The biggest reason for this preference is because Ball’s camp is unsure where he would fit in the Pelicans’ current backcourt situation. While the same question could be asked about Chicago, where Kris Dunn is entrenched as the starting point guard, the New York Knicks have no such issue and would welcome Ball with opened arms.
While that is an issue for Ball and his representatives, New Orleans does not see the issue. According to the sources that talked to Ganguli, the Pelicans envision Ball as their starting point guard.
Some people will ask, how is that possible with Jrue Holiday handling the point guard spot? Well, that is because the Pelicans do not view Holiday as a point guard because he doesn’t want to be one.
New Orleans would also play Ball 35 minutes per game, making sure he would fit in New Orleans and develop into the star his potential shows he is capable of being.
A pairing of Ball and Holiday in the backcourt would be an intriguing one for New Orleans. Holiday has developed into one of the best defensive guards in the NBA, routinely lining up against the opponent’s best offensive player whether it be James Harden or Kevin Durant.
However, Holiday has let it be known that Davis was a big reason that he re-signed with the Pelicans in the first place. With Davis seemingly on his way out, there is a chance that Holiday could be on the move sooner than later as well.
The Pelicans are clearly entering a rebuilding stage, as they have also made Julius Randle, Nikola Mirotic and E’Twuan Moore available in trade. Getting Ball and other young players back in a trade for Davis will be their goal as they want to restock the cupboard for their inevitable rebuild.
Next. 4 Reasons To Go Hard For An Anthony Davis Trade. dark
While Ball may not be thrilled with that, he has virtually no say in where he lands if he is indeed traded.