LaVar Ball Says LaMelo's Purchase of NBL's Illawarra Hawks Still Happening

LaVar Ball said his son, top 2020 NBA draft prospect LaMelo Ball, is still working to finalize an agreement to buy the Illawarra Hawks of Australia's National Basketball League.

The elder Ball told TMZ Sports in an interview released Friday that LaMelo will use the franchise to help American players develop if they want to go pro out of high school rather than play a year in college:

"It's a lot of guys that come out of high school and they'll get over there in the NBL, and guess what? You're not going to shine like that. ... And, Melo might see it differently.

"Like, 'Dang, you get to Melo's team, you're going to get to play. That might be different because it's American over there now.' So, Melo's looking at it like, 'Shoot, they let me do my thing and I got a chance. I'm going to give the next guy a chance.'"

LaVar added that his son is working with former NBA guard Jermaine Jackson on the deal, which he expects will be completed soon. He also noted the team would be sponsored by the family's Big Baller Brand.

"That's like a no-brainer," LaVar told TMZ.

Tim Barrow of the Illawarra Mercury reported Tuesday that Illawarra businessman Tory Lavalle is also part of the plan.

Ball averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.7 threes across 12 appearances for the Hawks during the 2019-20 season before returning to the U.S. to focus on his draft preparations.

In December, he told Yahoo Sports' Krysten Peek he was keeping tabs on fellow top prospects James Wiseman and Anthony Edwards but thought he was a step above his 2020 draft classmates.

"Most definitely. I believe in myself, and I've worked hard to get here," Ball said about being the No. 1 overall pick. "The other guys at the top of the draft, James and Anthony, are very talented too. But just in the way I believe in myself, I think I'm the top pick."

Barrow noted the NBL is "under pressure" to finish the Hawks sale before the league's free-agent negotiation period gets underway May 1.

The status of the 2020 NBA draft is up in the air, as the league could be forced to rework its schedule to finish the 2019-20 season once safe to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic.