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Lonzo Ball Trade Rumors: Knicks to Have 'Renewed Interest' in PG in Offseason
March 25, 2021
Lonzo Ball ended up staying put by the time the NBA trade deadline rolled around on Thursday, but the New York Knicks reportedly are already putting him on their radar for the offseason.
According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Knicks are expected to "have renewed interest" in the guard when he hits restricted free agency this offseason, and the interest may be mutual.
But the Knicks aren't alone in their interest, with Begley reporting that the Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets were also looking at Ball leading up to the deadline.
Begley reported on Thursday that the Knicks had "remained engaged" with the Pelicans regarding a trade for Ball heading into the final hour before the deadline, but no deal was able to be completed (h/t Danny Abriano of SNY).
Mike Mazzeo of Forbes had previously reported that the Knicks were looking to involve a third team in a potential trade for Ball and were trying to find a trade partner to take Eric Bledsoe. But the team also has valuable assets moving forward, including plenty of cap space as well as a first-round pick to send out in a trade, per Begley.
On Wednesday, Begley said that "there are people in the organization who have seen Ball as a strong addition," though there were concerns about whether or not he was someone the team could build around in the future.
Ball's 2020-21 season makes him seem like a valuable candidate to work around. Through 38 games with New Orleans, he has averaged 14.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds, and he'll spend the rest of the season adding to that stat line with the Pelicans.
