The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be hellbent on getting Anthony Davis in Gold and Purple, and if the intent is to do that this season or next, then they’ll likely have to say so long to Lonzo Ball.
Earlier in the week, Davis made clear he won’t sign an extension with the New Orleans Pelicans after the 2019-20 season, and as a result teams are lighting up Pels general manager Dell Demps’ phone with trade offers.
For quite some time, the Lakers have been a rumored destination for Davis. And if a trade between the two sides is reached, then Ball all but certainly will have to be in the return. If that’s the case though, Ball’s “camp” (which, reading between the lines, means his dad, LaVar) would prefer he be moved to a team like the Chicago Bulls or New York Knicks.
Here’s what the L.A. Times’ Tania Ganguli wrote about the situation.
“Although Lonzo Ball has no say in where he lands in a trade, his preference would be for the Lakers to find a third team such as Chicago or New York as a landing spot for the second-year point guard if he were part of a deal for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis, according to sources not authorized to speak publicly.
“Ball’s camp has concerns about how crowded the Pelicans’ backcourt is. The problem for Ball is that he’s a key part of what the Pelicans want in a deal for Davis.”
As Ganguli mentioned, Ball has no say in a deal. And given the finagling that would have to happen in order to execute a three-team deal of that magnitude, it seems unlikely at this point Ball will get his wish.
