It appears Lonzo Ball (and his family) have their sights set on Hollywood.
The star UCLA guard, projected to be one of the top picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, informed the Boston Celtics he won’t hold a workout with them ahead of the draft, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed Thursday during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Rich.”
Ball’s camp didn’t give a reason for declining to work out for the Celtics, per Ainge.
“They’re making their priorities,” Ainge said, via CBS Boston. “Sometimes they don’t want to come in not because they don’t like you, but they see our roster and would prefer to go to another team.”
Ainge added that this development doesn’t necessarily prevent Boston from taking Ball with the No. 1 overall pick. But the 19-year-old’s decision seems to confirm his open desire to play for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, who own the No. 2 pick in the draft. There also were reports that Ball might only work out with the Lakers ahead of the draft, and that looks more likely now.
The C’s appear to have their sights set on Washington point guard Markelle Fultz, whom some experts projects as a more well-rounded NBA prospect than Ball. However, there was a school of thought that Boston should try to convince L.A. it wants to draft Ball, with the hopes of the Lakers trying to trade with the C’s to get the No. 1 pick and give Ainge a valuable asset in return.
That plan appears to be out the window with Ball opting not to work out with the Celtics, though, as the dynamic point guard appears destined to grant his obnoxious father’s wishes and become a Laker.
Thumbnail photo via Jim Brown/USA TODAY Sports Images
