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Knicks Rumors: LaMelo Ball's Camp Expected to 'Steer' PG to NY in 2020 NBA Draft
May 15, 2020
In 2017, LaVar Ball made it clear he wanted his son Lonzo to be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, and Lonzo went to L.A. with the No. 2 overall pick. Now LaVar may be trying to speak another team into existence for LaMelo, the youngest Ball brother.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, "Some league sources believe the Ball camp will try to steer the 18-year-old point guard to the Knicks."
"The best fit in my eyes is the New York Knicks," LaVar said on FS1 recently (h/t Berman). "It's time for something good to happen to them."
The pieces seem to be in place for that to become a reality.
LaMelo is the projected No. 1 pick in the draft this year, according to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, and he was represented by Creative Artists Agency until early March, when one of CAA's most prominent agents, Leon Rose, also left the company to take over as the president of the Knicks.
In April, LaMelo signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, which also has ties to the Knicks.
"They put together a beautiful game plan with Jay-Z," LaMelo's manager, Jermaine Jackson, told ESPN's Jonathan Givony. "The basketball game is about to change. They are going to create something totally new. ... I've known Jay-Z since I played for the Knicks, but this is what the kids wanted to do. Jay-Z is a master at what he does."
It's no secret the Knicks have been lacking a true superstar for some time. The Carmelo Anthony era didn't bring a championship, and the Kristaps Porzingis-led squads did even less to impress. The team hasn't made the playoffs since 2013. It has young, raw talent in RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson but no star to pair with them.
That's where LaMelo comes in.
If the Knicks are able to win the NBA draft lottery—or at least place in the top three—they'll have a shot at landing the playmaker. If not, LaVar's mission of getting his son to New York will require a lot more work.