During their first seven to eight years in the league, NBA players have limited control over their careers. Once drafted into the league, players are under contract for a minimum of four years with the most likely outcome being them entering restricted free agency, accepting an offer sheet and their team matching, locking him up for four more years.
One of the lone ways the players can affect their situation comes even before the draft in choosing which teams to work out for and which to disclose medical records with. Lonzo Ball deployed that strategy back in 2017 prior to his draft as he only worked out for the Lakers. That strategy clearly worked as the guard found his way to Los Angeles.
On Wednesday in an LA Times article discussing the FBI opening an investigation into Alan Foster and the lawsuit with Lonzo Ball, it was revealed that Foster was the mastermind behind the decision for Ball to only work out with the Lakers.
Foster also encouraged Lonzo to refuse to workout for any team other than the Lakers, according to a person familiar with their communications.
For all the bad that Foster has done in Ball’s life, this may be one of the only occurrences of a good decision. In an era of player empowerment, draft prospects should be encouraged to take as much control as possible, especially given the circumstances mentioned above in which they’re likely locked into that destination for the better part of a decade.
