"I found out on Twitter" - Lonzo Ball on how he learned about getting traded by the LA Lakers to New Orleans Pelicans in 2019
Lonzo Ball, who was acquired by the LA Lakers as the second overall pick of the 2017 NBA draft, spoke out in September 2019 about the lack of respect that he was shown when he was initially traded.
Ball, who made it to the All-NBA rookie second team after starting 50 NBA games for the Lakers, revealed that he found out about his move to the New Orleans Pelicans via Twitter. Of course, while the lack of proper communication beforehand was criticized by the player, there were other reasons at play why the LA Lakers might have opted to keep Lonzo Ball out of the loop with respect to the negotiations involving the deal that sent Anthony Davis to the legendary franchise. In this article, we look at the overall situation and why Lonzo Ball might have been kept out of the loop.
Lonzo Ball on his role with the Bulls: "Talking to Billy, just getting back to being a more traditional PG. Last year (with the Pelicans) was different for me but whatever the coach asks me, I'll do to the best of my abilities. This year, it looks like I'll be PG." https://t.co/awiik4kPdF
Was Lonzo Ball shown a lack of respect by the LA Lakers when he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans?
Ball, who underwent a remarkable progressive improvement in his shooting, especially after making his move to the New Orleans Pelicans, will start the new season in a stacked Chicago Bulls roster that will be hoping to make a deep Playoff run. As far as the September 2019 deal involving the New Orleans Pelicans and the LA Lakers was concerned, there might have been other reasons why the Lakers’ front office thought it best to leave Lonzo Ball and his camp out of the loop.
The LA Lakers had reportedly considered involving Lonzo Ball in a move for the then San Antonio Spurs ace Kawhi Leonard in September 2018. However, Ball suffered a torn meniscus, a piece of information that the Lakers front office accused Lonzo Ball’s camp of leaking. The front office considered the leak to be one of the reasons why negotiations stalled. Hence, one of the reasons why the Lakers chose to keep him out of the loop with respect to the negotiations involving the Pelicans might have been to avoid any potential issue.
Regardless, Ball does not seem to agree, and said the following about the way the LA Lakers handled the situation:
I found out on Twitter. We was in the car, we had just left my grandfather’s house on the way to Melo’s Drew League game. And then D-Mo asked me ‘have you seen Twitter?’ I said ‘nah’ and then he was like ‘you just got traded.’ I mean, that’s just how I found out. I don’t know everybody’s situation, but that’s how we all found out.”
Hence, while Lonzo Ball appears chaffed, he has since enjoyed a successful career and recently revealed that his next goal is to become an All-Star. Keeping his last two seasons in mind, not a lot of people will be willing to bet against him as well.
Also Read: Who is Lonzo Ball’s girlfriend, Ally Rossel?