Anthony Davis is making his move, and so is🌠 Lonzo Ball.
In the wake of the Pelicans superstar’s midseason trade request, which puts the Lakers in strong position to cash in their youth for ready-made talent with which to surround LeBron James, Ball has begun posturing as a trade now seems inev💜itable.
The Athletic reported that Ball’s camp — as simple as a connect-the-dots game gets — and would prefer a third team be involved in a potential trade. The reasoning given is that the Pelicans already have an established point guard, and Ball wants to lead his own team.
(New Orleans’ situation at the point consists of Elfrid Payton, a 24-year-old who’s averaging 9.8 points and 5.8 assists this season and perhaps a top-25 point guard in a league of 30 teams, along with Jrue Holiday, who’s having a strong, 21.2-points-per-game year but is more shooting guard than point guard. So, the request is limiting.)
Of course, what Ball’s camp wants doesn’t matter. If the Lakers can send him off in a package and get Davis, they would do so in a blink without care for Ball’s leanings.
The sophomore point guard has not taken the leap from his rookie season, struggling to co-exist with another player who needs the ball in his hands at all times in James. LeBron’s wingmen are typically gunners who, with less attention, get freed up for shots, and Ball is just a 33 percent 3-point shooter this season (actually up from 30 percent last year).
On the whole, the 21-year-old — who’s out another three to five weeks with a sprained left ankle — has put up 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this year. He’s an attractive trade piece, if not the sure thing Los Angeles craved with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft.