LiAngelo Ball has declared himself for the 2018 NBA draft, according to Yahoo Sports. But sports analysts say he will almost certainly go undrafted.
LiAngelo, pictured left with his L.A. Laker brother Lonzo Ball, is currently playing for Vytautas Prienu team in Lithuania, along with his 16-year-old brother, LaMelo Ball.
LiAngelo’s outspoken father LaVar Ball threatened to make Lonzo leave the L.A. Lakers if they didn’t sign LiAngelo or LaMelo. But the Lakers have Lonzo locked into a contract until 2021.
Sports analysts say NBA teams won’t pick LiAngelo because he simply isn’t good enough.
via SB Nation — This is a no-brainer move for LiAngelo Ball, but there are no expectations that he will be selected in either round this June, despite his social media fame. Before he was detained for shoplifting in China during a preseason trip, Ball was slated to come off the bench for the UCLA Bruins this season. There is a very short list of players who are drafted despite coming off the bench for their college team, and they usually involve circumstances that don’t apply to Ball.
At best, I could see the Lakers extending a summer league invite to LiAngelo Ball, or perhaps even signing him to their G-League team. But if he’s simply not good enough, and most indications are that he’s not, then even that would be an insult to actual G-League players who do deserve a look…
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