Lonzo Ball himself admitted that his bubble performance in Orlando was a disappointment. The New Orleans Pelicans failed to win a ticket to the playoffs, and Ball said part of the blame is on him. Brave as the point guard might be, reports said he could be out the team next season.
Journalist Jay Williams shared the latest word he got from New Orleans and he learned that the third-year NBA star could figure in an upcoming trade deal by the Pelicans front office.
"I'm hearing things around New Orleans that Lonzo may be used as a trading asset in New Orleans," USA Today reported Williams as saying.
No reason was given by the journalist on why Ball could be traded by the Pelicans but the player's performance dip in Orlando seemed the obvious justification. The 22-year-old only made 5.7 points per game in the Disney World games, far from his more than 12.4 points average in the regular season.
Ball's entire game in the bubble city was not impressive at all and there were observations that the guard totally "checked out" during the season restart. So if the New Orleans management will indeed consider shipping Ball out, the valid reason points to the bubble games.
However, the same report indicated that the talks of Ball getting traded in the offseason might have been fueled by the star's imminent free agency. It's true that the Pelicans failed on their playoffs try this season but there is no sign that the team intends to let the ax fall on Ball.
In any case, it's not entirely impossible that Ball will be the subject of trade negotiations between the Pelicans and interested teams. That being the case, Fadeaway World said one organization that likely has a high interest in the former Los Angeles Lakers are the New York Knicks.
It is understood that the Knicks are looking to acquire the Pelicans man with the design to make him their "franchise point guard." The report makes sense as New York is building up a young roster currently headlined by RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson.
The pair are characterized as brimming with promises and the Knicks appeared convinced that adding Ball to the mix will make for a winning formula for the long-struggling NY-based ball club.
Ball's ball-handling is certainly a plus for the Knicks and his decent defensive skills should blend well with a squad that is seen to excel in preventing the opposing team to score. To be sure, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau will welcome the reported acquisition of the Pelicans star.
But first, Thibodeau must check closely his existing roster and determine what exact assets he can offer that New Orleans will find interesting.
