After news surfaced that LaMelo Ball had bought the Illawarra Hawks, the NBL issued a statement saying Ball and his manager, Jermaine Jackson, have not applied to transfer the team from the current holder, Simon Stratford.
The NBL would like to clarify the current situation regarding LaMelo Ball and the Illawarra Hawks.
The league can confirm LaMelo Ball and his management had discussions about being involved with the club while he was playing in the NBL last season.
At this point we are continuing to work with current licence holder Simon Stratford on a number of options for what we hope will be a fruitful outcome for Illawarra and the NBL.
The NBL has final approval on any transfer of licence and no application has been made to date. The NBL has no further comment at this stage.
LaMelo played 12 games in the NBL before suffering a foot injury. He averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists.
LaMelo is the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball. He's a potential No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Golden State Warriors will have a top pick in the 2020 Draft, but it doesn’t appear they have any interest in drafting LaMelo. Per Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Warriors aren’t high on the youngest Ball brother. The other potential lottery teams picking on the same range — the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Atlanta Hawks — are already set at point guard so it remains to be seen if selecting Ball from a ‘best player available' perspective makes sense for them.
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