LaVar Ball: Lonzo Willing to Take Less Money on Lakers Contract to Help Team

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball is under team control for three more years, but he's already signaling he'll settle for a team-friendly deal when the time comes for an extension.

According to HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy, Lonzo's father, LaVar Ball, said Wednesday that Lonzo would take less money on his next contract to enable the Lakers to have more salary-cap flexibility:

Ball isn't likely to hit free agency until 2021, so he won't be in a position to help the Lakers save money anytime soon.

With that said, Los Angeles has club options for Ball in 2019 and 2020 worth $8.7 million and $11 million, respectively, according to Spotrac. The Lakers could potentially decline either of those options, making Ball an unrestricted free agent, at which point they could negotiate a lower salary.

NBA teams rarely use that strategy, and when it does happen, it's generally because a player hasn't performed up to expectations. The New Orleans Pelicans declined Austin Rivers' fourth-year option in 2014, and the Sacramento Kings waived Georgios Papagiannis altogether in his second season.

Keeping Ball a restricted free agent will be more valuable to the Lakers than saving money in the short term. Plus, it's not clear Ball is a foundational piece for Los Angeles.

He averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists as a rookie, but his three-point shooting remains an issue (30.5 percent). The Lakers may want to see Ball's progression over the next few years before deciding whether they view him as part of their long-term future.