LiAngelo Ball Says Having Lonzo During 2018 NBA Draft Process 'Helps a Lot'

LiAngelo Ball said Tuesday that having his brother, Lonzo, as a resource has helped him throughout the predraft process.

"It was good having an older brother in the league, obviously," LiAngelo told reporters after his workout with the Lakers on Tuesday. "He'll tell you certain stuff about the NBA that you might not hear if you don't have a brother in the league. So it helps a lot."

However, Lonzo's assistance may not be able to land LiAngelo a gig with the Lakers. 

According to USA Today's Sam Amick, the Lakers "have no interest in drafting or signing the 19-year-old—for the NBA team or even the G-League team, the South Bay Lakers."

Furthermore, ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman spoke to several NBA executives and they "all said that they don't feel he's talented enough to play in the G-League."

Given the odd path the former 3-star recruit has taken over the past year, that's hardly a surprise. 

Following his dismissal from UCLA because of a shoplifting scandal in China, Ball signed with BC Prienu Vytautas in Lithuania. There, he averaged 12.6 points per game playing alongside his brother, LaMelo. 

Now, Ball will likely have to try to convince an NBA team he's worth a summer-league roster spot if he wants to have a shot at cracking a G League roster next season. 

Recruit information courtesy of 247Sports.