One year removed from drafting Duke standout RJ Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks are poised to be a lottery team again — only incrementally improving since the 2018-19 campaign. One top prospect that could land in the Big Apple is China Hills High School and NBL's Illawarra Hawks guard LaMelo Ball, much to the encouragement of LaVar Ball.

The Ball patriarch told Fox Sports 1's Undisputed on Tuesday that “it's time for something good to happen to the Knicks.”

The Knicks are still far from competitive basketball despite downing James Harden, Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets at home on Monday night. The 19-year-old Barrett led his team in scoring with a career-high-tying 27 points and the safety cushion go-ahead bucket in the final seconds, but it is clear he needs more help.

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Melo, 18, is the youngest brother of current New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, the former UCLA Bruins prospect that was picked second overally by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 draft.

LaMelo Ball is currently slotted around that area, and he could go as high as No. 2 like his brother or lower in the top 10. The Knicks will, in all likelihood, be drafting in that range.

The middle Ball child Ball, LiAngelo, also made headlines on Tuesday as he is poised to sign a contract with a G League team. LiAngelo left the traditional NCAA route to play professionally abroad and in his father's JBA league, later going undrafted in the 2018 draft.

The potential Knicks draft target, LaMelo, joined the skipping college path by playing professionally in Australia this past season before bruising his foot. He later won the NBL's Rookie of the Year award.