NBA Draft Rumors: Lavar Ball Wants Son, LaMelo, To End Up With New York Knicks

LaVar Ball — the mind behind the Big Baller Brand and father of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball — has a good idea about where he’d like his youngest son, LaMelo Ball, to end up in the 2020 NBA Draft. During an interview on the Load Management podcast, the elder Ball said he’d like LaMelo to begin his NBA career in the league’s largest media market with the New York Knicks.

An article in the New York Post seemingly confirms this thought process, as it reported the Ball camp is actively trying to push LaMelo in that direction.

When asked on the podcast about the possibility of New York landing his son, Ball maintained it would be an ideal situation. He also mused about the possibility of his sons Lonzo and LiAngelo Ball potentially joining their younger brother on the Knicks.

“I think so. The bright lights, East Coast, If everything lines up right, the Knicks get the first pick and get LaMelo and LiAngelo with him and somehow get Lonzo in the long run. Shoot – The Triple B’s. The Ball Brothers on Broadway.”

While Ball has stated he would prefer to see LaMelo get drafted by the Knicks, the prospect of any Ball brother ending up in New York could be a long shot.

Based on the standings that were in place when the NBA suspended play in March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Knicks would have a 37.2 percent chance of landing a top-four pick and just a nine percent chance of winning the top overall selection in the NBA Draft Lottery. NBADraft.net currently has Ball ranked as the No. 2 overall draft prospect on its most recent big board update and the elder Ball stated his own belief that LaMelo could go No. 1 during his Load Management interview.

Meanwhile, Lonzo’s current contract with the Pelicans runs through 2021, after which he’ll be a restricted free agent, and LiAngelo has yet to make an impact at the professional level. After playing a year abroad, he was acquired by the G-League’s Oklahoma City Blue just before play was suspended.

For his part, LaMelo exhibited potential while playing for the Australian NBL’s Illawarra Hawks. In 13 games across all competitions, he averaged 17 points and just under eight rebounds, along with seven assists per contest. The 18-year-old opted to go pro and join the Hawks in lieu of playing college basketball for a school in the U.S.

LaMelo has drawn interest from clubs across the Association, including the Washington Wizards. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the team reportedly did its “due diligence” on the youngster, sending multiple scouts to Australia to watch him play.