Lonzo Ball has been a Californian his entire life. He was raised in Chino Hills, CA — where he became a basketball star at Chino Hills High School — played college basketball at UCLA and was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
For at least the next two years, Ball will call New Orleans, Louisiana his home after being traded to the Pelicans in July. Once his time in “The Big Easy” is over, Ball told Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times that he hasn’t ruled out a return to L.A.:
“It was a good time for me to finally move on,” Ball said. “Who knows if I eventually go back or not? You never know what the future holds. But right now, I think I’m in the best situation for myself.”
Of course, that means he also wouldn’t be opposed to playing for the Lakers again, and the timing may just work out if both sides were mutually interested in a reunion.
Ball is set to hit restricted free in 2021, when the Lakers are expected to have over $36 million in cap space under the $125 million salary cap, which will put them in a position to match any bid for Ball. The LA Clippers could also have a good chunk of cap space if Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both opt out.
Now, is it likely? It’s too soon to tell, but unless Ball blossoms into a superstar or a legitimate starting caliber point guard like D’Angelo Russell did last season, it’s hard to imagine either one of the Lakers or Clippers showing interest in the young guard. But like Ball said: You never know wha the future holds.
