Whether done intentionally or by accident, LaMelo Ball added some more fuel to the fire on Monday of him landing in the Big Apple. During his media interview for the 2020 NBA Draft Combine, Ball was asked whether he spoke with numerous teams in the NBA Draft Lottery.
A mixture of “no comment” and “I don’t know” responses were broken up by one confirmation.
LaMelo Ball says he did speak with the New York Knicks after declining to name other teams. The Knicks are picking 8th and he's likely to be gone by then.
— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) September 28, 2020
While LaMelo has never explicitly stated a desire to go to New York, his father has provided his input, as he often does. The Knicks are the desired destination for LaVar, but not just for LaMelo as he envisions all three sons teaming up under head coach Mark Jackson in Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks have remained high on Ball and have had at least preliminary discussions about moving up in the draft. It should come as no surprise that they’ve talked to Ball as they are one of the most common teams projected to trade up in the draft. With trades of Kristaps Porzingis and Marcus Morris in recent seasons, the Knicks do have enough assets to move up in the draft.
Ball has already spoken to or will speak to most, if not all, teams in the lottery and the draft as a whole. It’s a matter of due process for most teams as it’s a chance to speak with a player without any restrictions for one of the few times in their career.
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