NBA Draft 2020: Best Fits for LaMelo Ball After LaVar's Latest Comments

Just when NBA fans thought they had heard the last of LaVar Ball—or thought they had earned a break from his hubris, at least—here he comes again with zeal.

And it makes perfect sense, in a way.

Three years ago, he was on the campaign trail for his eldest son, Lonzo Ball, leading up to the 2017 draft. Now he's back to hype up his youngest son, LaMelo, ahead of this year's draft.

But what separates this push from LaVar's initial one is the realistic possibility that the 18-year old point guard could be the No. 1 overall pick.

On cue, though, the Ball brothers' patriarch found another way to be controversial by putting it out there that with standout guards like Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry already in place, the Golden State Warriors wouldn't be the optimal landing spot for his son.

According to his thinking, LaMelo wouldn't be able to blossom into the star he's destined to if he had to share the spotlight with the Splash Brothers.

"That's the part I don't like about Golden State," LaVar said on the A Big Baller Father's Day episode of the Say Less with Kaz podcast. "They got Klay and the other guys, and now you want to put Melo in that mix to say you got to follow these guys. Melo ain't no follower. He don't need to do what they do, let them do they thing."

It's obvious that LaVar respects what Steph and Klay have built in the Bay, but with the Warriors being the favorites to win the lottery, he's laying the groundwork now to get his son to a different team where he'll be the focal point.

"There's a reason you are looking at my son," he added. "He's talented and can play the game. It ain't that hard. Guy is open, and you pass it to them. You open and you been working on your shot? Shoot the ball. It's fast-paced, it's good. But don't be like Melo got to his turn and wait for two or three years to go by and learn from the veterans. Ain't about that. Can you play or not?

"And when you special, how do you coach somebody special? You just enjoy it, and they special because of the things they do. Enjoy it. Let him do what he does."

Golden State general manager Bob Myers has hinted in the past that if they get the first selection, they might be willing to trade down to best fit their needs, so it's possible that even if they take Ball, he'll find himself going to another squad.

"Oh yeah," Ball said. "At the end of the day, this about money and business. Melo will put people in them seats. That's one thing he can do. Who in the draft going to put people in them seats besides Melo?"

While the Warriors are not the ideal team for LaMelo, according to LaVar, there are teams out there that would fit his criteria.

A team like the New York Knicks, for example.

They are currently in the rebuilding process and are in need of a bonafide star to not only win back fans, but to also draw in free agents to play for them. LaMelo Ball could be that player.

"The Knicks don't have anything," LaVar told Jeffrey Bellone of DailyKnicks.com. "The last time they won a championship back in the '70s. The bright lights. You need a whole new turnaround over there."

For his part, LaMelo has already shown that he can handle the spotlight and thrive under intense scrutiny, and if he were to land in New York, there would be plenty of opportunities to play and grow into a star.

"I don't think it's going to bother him," Lonzo told SNYtv's Ian Begley back in January. "He's been in the spotlight since he was 15."

Not surprisingly, LaVar has additional reasons for his son going to the Big Apple.

"The person I want to see him play with, they got to know this, if you're getting 'Melo, you're getting 'Gelo [LiAngelo Ball]," he said. "And after that, you have a chance to get 'Zo. You don't need one person to change no franchise. You need the whole culture change, and that takes all three of my boys. That would be the biggest show in the NBA ever."

LaVar's attempt at making the Knicks' personnel decisions aside, he has a point about the Knicks and what his son could do for them.

In just 12 games for the NBL's Illawarra Hawks, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists. 

He not only put on a show in the NBL, but he also proved that he could lead a team and make just about every pass imaginable.

Like his older brother, he does have an unorthodox shooting form that needs improvement, but he was still deadly when he needed to be. Also, to be effective in the league, he'll have to become a better shooter from behind the arc. 

That said, he's hailed by many as the best point guard in the 2020 class, and as a prospect, he has a higher ceiling than Lonzo.

Everyone will have to wait until October 16 to see where LaMelo goes, whether it's to the Warriors, the Knicks, the Phoenix Suns or the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But it won't be too long after that before fans will see if father Ball knew what he was talking about or if he was speaking in hyperbole like he often does.

Follow Maurice Bobb on Twitter, @ReeseReport