It's safe to say that Lonzo Ball has failed to live up to the expectations that surrounded him when he made the NBA as a second-overall pick. Then again, he's trending up and has proven to be an elite defender and playmaker.
That's why he's in a bit of an uncomfortable position right now. He's injury-prone and not much of a scorer so teams will be wary of overpaying for him, yet he's too good not to take a risk on him going forward.
Whatever the case it is, his father LaVar Ball just wants to see him get traded away from the New Orleans Pelicans, as he believes that they're 'changing the way he plays the game' and he just can't stay there anymore.
LaVar Ball Says Lonzo Can't Stay New Orleans, Demands A Trade
“No! No, he can’t stay in New Orleans. Come on, man. Come on, listen … Lonzo’s always been a playmaker. Why are you trying to change him into a defensive specialist that stays in the corner and shoots 3s? And you’re trying to change Zion and Brandon Ingram who all through their careers have never been playmakers. They’re scorers! Now you want to put the ball in their hands and be playmakers? Go score the ball and do what you do and guess what? They’re gonna have a hard time trying to win every game if the playmaker ain’t making the right plays," LaVar said on ESPN LA 710.
The Ball patriarch added that he doesn't know whether he'll be traded or not but urged the team to do it because he simply doesn't like the way his son is playing under Van Gundy's system:
“Oh, I don’t know what they’re gonna do. I don’t know what they’re gonna do. I hope he be traded though. Here’s the thing: I don’t like watching him play like he plays [right now]," he concluded.
The New York Knicks Want Lonzo Ball
Lonzo and the Pelicans couldn't reach an agreement on a contract extension and he'll be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the New York Knicks are doing their due diligence on him:
"The Knicks are looking to make a move at the March 25 NBA trade deadline for an upgrade — preferably for backcourt help. Though Rockets combo guard Victor Oladipo is available, Pelicans pass-first point guard Lonzo Ball is higher on Leon Rose’s list (...) The Post has learned the Knicks, with plenty of cap room, would be heavily on Ball’s radar as a restricted free agent," Berman said.
Lonzo has repeatedly stated his desire to play with the Pelicans' young core but whether the Pelicans view him as a building block going forward or not is yet to be seen. The Knicks are in clear need of a playmaker and he'd get a chance to prove his worth at the Madison Square Garden.
