Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball wasn't worried about the trade rumors swarming his name as soon as LeBron James committed to a four-year, $154 million deal with the purple and gold.
The organization added another generational passing talent in James, one who has racked up 8,208 career assists and boasted the highest assist average of his career last season at 9.1 per game.
Yet the pride of Chino Hills wasn't sweating the hearsay and remains confident in the organization's plans involving him, regardless of the acquisitions made over this summer.
“There’s trade rumors every year… Athletes in general, you’re never really 100 percent safe,” said Ball in the last episode of his Facebook family show: Ball In The Family. “Wherever you’re at. Anything can happen, especially in the offseason, so all I can do is just make sure I’m ready to play at the best of my abilities.”
The Lakers acquired veteran floor general Rajon Rondo shortly after, a bona fide starter in the league, putting Ball's place in the rotation in question as the team now boasts two non-shooting point guards.
Ball had a shaky rookie season, shooting a mere 36 percent from the floor, 30.5 percent from deep, and a woeful 45.1 percent from the foul line — all reasons for concern when it comes to his long-term developments.
While Ball did put up a healthy line of 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, he was far from the conversation for Rookie of the Year, even after being drafted with the No. 2 selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. The youngster is on the mend from knee surgery.
Follow Us
Subscribe