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Lonzo Ball Rumors: Knicks Decision-Makers Had 'No Consensus' on Pursuing PG
July 12, 2021
The New York Knicks could pursue Lonzo Ball as a restricted free agent this offseason, but the front office may not be in agreement on the point guard.
"As recently as late in the regular season, there was no consensus on Ball among Knicks decision-makers," Ian Begley of SNY reported.
The Knicks discussed a potential deal with the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of the trade deadline, per Begley, but the two sides couldn't work out a deal.
With about $50 million worth of cap space this offseason, New York could target Ball either as a free agent or through a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans.
Brian Windhorst and Andrew Lopez of ESPN reported in April that the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks were also interested before the deadline and could take another look in the offseason.
Ball would be a quality addition who does a little bit of everything without needing the ball in his hands.
The 23-year-old set a career high this season with 14.6 points per game, shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range with a 53.7 effective field-goal percentage that also ranked as his personal best in four NBA seasons.
He put up that production despite ranking sixth on the Pelicans in usage rate, per Basketball Reference.
While New Orleans struggled defensively in 2020-21, Ball has a reputation as a quality on-ball defender who can fill up the stat sheet with career averages of 6.4 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
The Knicks could use this production as they try to become title contenders after finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference this past season.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett will likely remain the go-to options offensively, but Ball could be another scoring option while providing a key boost in other phases of the game. The 2017 No. 2 overall pick could also add to the hype in Madison Square Garden as the Knicks take another step toward contention.