LaMelo Ball’s star appeal will make him one of the most unique players in the 2020 NBA Draft. For all the faults he has as a player and as much of a debate it will be as to which prospect should go No. 1 in the NBA Draft, it’s inarguable which prospect has the biggest following.
In the past, that has been enough at times to sway a team to make Ball the top pick in the draft. While nothing about this season will be normal in regards to the NBA Draft, Ball’s star appeal will remain all the same and just as enticing.
Could it be enough to convince a team to move up in the draft and select him? A team with a need, the draft capital and/or the desire to bring in Ball could be persuaded into moving up in the draft.
But which team fits all those needs? Here’s a look at three teams that could trade up for Ball in the 2020 NBA Draft.
1. New Orleans Pelicans
The most intriguing options could see the Ball brothers paired up. Few teams have the draft capital the Pelicans have moving forward in the coming years. The Pelicans will have two first-round picks in each of the next two seasons alone on top of the host of young talent acquired last season.
Trading up for Ball would likely come only after trading away Jrue Holiday, which has been rumored since the moment New Orleans traded away Anthony Davis. It would be a drastic move for the franchise but if the price is right, any trade could make sense.
Whether the trade of Holiday nets the Pelicans one of the top picks in the draft or whether New Orleans acquires the pick through another trade, Holiday would demand a price high enough to get the team a top draft pick.
And if they do trade him, there are few things more appealing than pairing the Ball brothers back together. It would instantly make the Pelicans one of the most popular teams between Lonzo, LaMelo and Zion Williamson and would make them one of the best young teams in the league.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
The only team with comparable draft capital to the Pelicans is the Thunder. After massive packages for Paul George and Russell Westbrook, most expected the Thunder to enter a rebuilding stage. Instead, the team positioned itself in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.
It’s not inconceivable, though, that the Thunder remain focused on building for the future this off-season. Danilo Gallinari is set to be a free agent. Chris Paul’s contract may never be more tradeable than this off-season. Dennis Schroder, a Sixth Man of the Year favorite, will be an expiring contract and a player that could have a big market.
It all could add up to a new focus next season. And while Shai-Gilgeous Alexander is the guard for the future, a backcourt of Ball and Alexander would be as good a young backcourt as any in the league. The Thunder would have the means to move up in the draft and Ball would have the appeal to be another face of the team’s rebuild.
3. Chicago Bulls
Unlike the other two teams, the Bulls do not have a bevy of draft picks to use in trades. But with the hiring Arturas Karnisovas as the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations, Chicago took a step in the right direction after years of toiling in the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
While Chicago doesn’t have any extra draft picks, they also don’t owe any first round picks to teams in the future. What the Bulls lack in draft capital, though, they can make up for in prospects. Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen, Chandler Hutchison, Wendell Carter, Jr., Coby White and Daniel Gafford are all young players with varying degrees of trade value.
For now, the Bulls have a large quantity of young players but no standout player. Would they be interested in cashing in on some of those players for someone like Melo, who could have a higher ceiling than all others?
