Since being drafted No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017, Lonzo Ball has struggled to stay healthy. Through his first two seasons in the NBA, Ball has been limited to fewer than 100 games. This season, he played a career-low 47 games before being shut down for the remainder of the season with a bone bruise.
However, in spite of his lengthy injury history, Ball is still viewed as an asset around the league because of the invaluable things he does on the court.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, several teams around the league requested medical information on Ball last summer, in case he became available. This summer, interested parties are expected to do the same:
Once the Lakers received James’ commitment last July, some teams began attempting to gather information on Ball and his health in case he became available, sources told The Athletic. He has several steps remaining to be cleared for full basketball activities, but teams will clearly go through the same process this summer if he becomes a trade target.
Ball was reportedly made available in trade talks for Anthony Davis leading up to the trade deadline. If the Lakers re-engage in trade talks with the New Orleans Pelicans this summer, Ball will likely be dangled again. If the Lakers do not re-enter the mix for Davis, it’s hard to imagine the team will look to trade Ball.
Not only is Ball just 21 years old with less than two years of experience in the NBA, he is one of few starting-caliber point guards expected to be available this summer. Kyrie Irving is a name that has been linked to the Lakers, too. But if Irving does leave the Boston Celtics, the growing belief is that it will be for the New York Knicks.
Ball might be an imperfect player, but he still has a ton of upside as a two-way point guard. As the Lakers discovered with D’Angelo Russell, it’s probably not a good idea to give up on a promising point guard after his first two years.
