LaMelo Ball is regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ball — who spent this past year with the Illawarra Hawks in the National Basketball League (NBL) — has tremendous size (6'7″) at the point guard position, and any number of teams would likely covet the youngest Ball brother for his playmaking capabilities.
However, it appears the Balls have a specific destination in mind for LaMelo: the New York Knicks.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that league sources feel the Ball family will attempt to “steer” LaMelo to the Knicks:
Some league sources believe the Ball camp will try to steer the 18-year-old point guard to the Knicks, though such a maneuver will seem difficult if Leon Rose’s club doesn’t rise into the top four in the lottery.
Berman's report was essentially confirmed by LaMelo's father, LaVar Ball, in the days prior. LaVar said he feels New York is the “best fit” for his son during an appearance on FS1 earlier this week.
Nonetheless, as Berman noted, there might only be so much the Knicks can control. Going off the current NBA standings, the ‘Bockers have the sixth-best odds at winning the lottery. If they fail to jump into the top three or four, it might be hard to land Ball.
Plenty of mock experts have Ball going within the first three picks, and John Hollinger of The Athletic rated Ball as the best player on his board.
The Knicks could certainly use a new point guard. Frank Ntilikina has shown improvement in his third season, but he does not possess Ball's vision or scoring ability. Meanwhile, Dennis Smith Jr. has been a massive disappointment in New York.
Still, the Knicks might need some luck in order to have the opportunity to draft LaMelo Ball.
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