Lonzo Ball was once the highly-touted point guard prospect drawing comparisons to the likes of Jason Kidd ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft. Some were bold enough to call him Stephen Curry with a 40 inch vertical. In 2026, less than a decade later, his NBA career is hanging on for dear life.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who employed Ball before the NBA trade deadline, dealt Lonzo away to the Utah Jazz in favor of financial flexibility and an open roster spot. The Cavs had to attach a couple of second-round picks to get off his salary for this season.
The persistently-tanking Jazz had no interest in keeping Ball around after acquiring him. Their intentions to waive the veteran guard became clear next to immediately. Now, the former second overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakers is stuck in limbo.
Lonzo Ball's NBA future is as clouded as ever
Magic Johnson and the Lakers once passed up the opportunity to grab Jayson Tatum because of how good they thought Ball could be. Clearly, that one did not work out for them.
Ball was eventually sent packing as a part of the Anthony Davis trade that would help lead the Lakers to their first championship since the Kobe Bryant era. At that point of his career, the California native was still an exciting prospect, even after a couple of uneven years in Los Angeles.
Fast forward to 2026 and there is reasonable doubt as to whether his time in the NBA is done. Being waived around the trade deadline is never a promising sign for anyone's future in the league.
There have been some murmurings about Ball being connected to places like Charlotte, Golden State, etc. Nothing has materialized, and it is fair to wonder whether it ultimately does at this point.
The Lakers could have ended Ball's time on the free agent market if they wanted to. They had an open roster spot after the trade deadline. Rob Pelinka and company opted to go for in-house talent Kobe Bufkin instead. It feels telling that both players play the same position here.
Ball is still NBA-level in several ways after injuries robbed him of multiple seasons during his mid-20s. The former Cavs guard displayed functionality as a defender and passer.
The problem was his (lack of) scoring touch was too hard to ignore. Ball's percentages were absolutely brutal. Watching Lonzo throughout the campaign would show anyone a player who was quickly losing confidence in his own shot.
Scoring has never been the main selling point of his skill set. Even so, being such a heavy negative in that category ultimately got him phased out of the Cavaliers rotation in favor of Craig Porter Jr.
It's hard to know right now whether Ball will have another stop in the NBA. It would be fair to assume someone else may be willing to gamble on his talent. Whether that substantially prolongs his career is a whole different discussion.