NBA rumors: Lonzo Ball may have played his way off the trade market

Lonzo Ball was available for trade a month ago, but his recent surge of strong shooting may have taken him off the trade block, according to Zach Lowe.

Did Lonzo Ball play himself off the trade block with the Pelicans?

According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, Ball was up for grabs just a few weeks ago, but a recent surge in production means New Orleans may be willing to keep him around.

While there could be interest from around the league, the equation may have changed somewhat, Lowe explained on his podcast The Lowe Post.

“The intel on what the Pelicans are going to do with Lonzo, who is hitting restricted free agency, is all over the place,” Lowe said. “A month ago, he was allegedly the most available good player in the NBA. That’s quieted now because he’s shooting 40 percent from three and looks really good. I don’t know that they’re going to get blown away by an offer, and if they don’t get blown away by an offer, they can roll the dice in free agency.”

New Orleans may see more value in keeping Lonzo Ball than dealing him

The Pelicans may worry about losing Ball in free agency with so much money floating around the league, but Lowe’s guest Bill Simmons argued that Ball might not attract that much attention.

While Ball has been “really good” this year, according to Simmons, “everyone has guards.” Getting someone to pay $27 million for Ball’s unique skillset isn’t a guarantee.

If that’s the case, New Orleans would have reason to hold on to Ball for now and see what they can entice him with when the season is up, rather than trying to cash in now.

After all, his three-point shooting at 38.7 percent is the best of his career. He’s even made more three-balls than Trae Young, as wild as that is to think about.