Report: Lonzo Ball considering working out for Philadelphia 76ers

While he has been tied to the Los Angeles Lakers’ No. 2 pick, it seems that UCLA Bruins point guard Lonzo Ball could work out for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Former UCLA Bruins point guard Lonzo Ball has forgone his final three years of eligibility in the Pac-12 to turn pro at 19-years old. Since being eliminated from the 2017 NCAA Tournament, Ball and his camp have had their eyes on playing for his home state’s Los Angeles Lakers. This was only reaffirmed with the Lakers getting the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft after the lottery results.

Though Ball has not shown any interest in working out for the Boston Celtics, who have the No. 1 overall pick and could be looking at a point guard, he might be looking at the Philadelphia 76ers, the team picking at No. 3, as a fall-back option should the Lakers not take him.

According to ESPN’s Chris Haynes, “Lonzo Ball [is] considering granting Philadelphia 76ers, owners of No. 3 pick, a pre-draft workout.” Philadelphia will likely be looking at a point guard with their lottery selection. What could Ball potentially working out for the 76ers indicate at the top of the 2017 NBA Draft board?

It could mean several things, but probably just a means to make the Lakers jealous a bit to ensure that they pick him at No. 2. Los Angeles does have another young point guard in D’Angelo Russell, but he could theoretically play shooting guard alongside a pass-first point guard like Ball.

Adding Philadelphia to the small list of two teams that Ball could work out for (Lakers and 76ers) is smart. If for any reason the Lakers don’t pick him at No. 2, the Ball Family and the 76ers organization would have a better understanding of what they could conceivably offer each other.

There is no conceivable way that the Phoenix Suns picking at No. 4 would pass on him. However, Phoenix does not have the allure of Los Angeles nor is as far along in their rebuild as Philadelphia is.

Next: What each NBA coach would be doing if he wasn’t an NBA coach

Not working out for Boston is troubling, but Ball and Celtics starting point guard Isaiah Thomas don’t have comparable games in the backcourt. Boston seems to really like former Washington Huskies point guard Markelle Fultz anyway. He’ll likely end up being the No. 1 overall pick in this summer’s upcoming NBA Draft.