Lakers Rumors: The timeline of bringing in all three Ball brothers

The NBA news cycle being halt to a shut is the perfect opportunity for Lavar Ball to get his name back in the headlines and he did just that on Tuesday, starting new Los Angeles Lakers rumors that some fans are probably sick of hearing.

We all know the story. The Lakers drafted Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and while he was a solid player and continues to progress, he never lived up to the expectations that his father placed on him.

Lonzo was involved in the Anthony Davis trade and Lavar went as far as to say that it was the worst move the Lakers ever did in their life and they would never win a championship. Don’t worry, Laker fans, according to Lavar we could be getting Lonzo back in LA at some point.

Lakers Rumors: Lavar Ball says that all three brothers will still eventually play together on the Los Angeles Lakers.

This was the plan all along for Lavar Ball, but there were some hurdles. Not only was Lonzo traded, but LiAngelo was not drafted and LaMelo is just now entering the NBA Draft this year.

Despite all of these hurdles, though, Lavar Ball still believes that his boys will team up on the Lakers at some point. A lot think this is ridiculous, and rightfully so. This would be a long-term process, as the team is not going to be able to get all three Ball brothers soon and we wanted to break down the potential timeline of this actually happening.

The biggest variable in this equation is LaMelo Ball, who is one of the top NBA Draft prospects this year. LaMelo appears to be a lock to go in the top-five, with ESPN even ranking him as the second-best NBA Draft prospect.

Whatever team drafts him better not expect a long-term commitment, though, as after five years LaMelo is “going to be” a Laker.

LaMelo will be a restricted free agent after four years in the league and while it might make sense for the Lakers to sign him then, his team would have the right to match any contract that he signs. Thus, it makes more sense for LaMelo to take the one-year qualifying offer for that season before becoming an unrestricted free agent if the plan is to reconvene on the Lakers.

That puts us in the summer of 2025. In order to make sure the timelines intersect, Lonzo could sign a four-year contract after next season, when he becomes a restricted free agent. Ironically, that actually lines up pretty well for the boys.

What about LiAngelo? Well, he does not appear to be going anywhere. He is currently in the G League on the Oklahoma City Blue as a practice player. He has not played a game.

So at this point, the Lakers would be bringing in Lonzo at 28 years old, LaMelo at 24 and LiAngelo, hopefully with some actual NBA experience by then, at 27. Not bad at all, they all should be in their primes.

What about the Lakers’ current contracts? If everything goes as planned, this would intersect perfectly if Anthony Davis were to sign a five-year super-max extension with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. He would become a free agent right when the Lakers can transition into a new era: the Ball era.

Ultimately, these Lakers rumors are a bit ridiculous and the chance of seeing all three Ball brothers on the Lakers is the same as seeing the Lakers play the Harlem Globetrotters. But as least Lavar’s timeline makes sense.