LaVar Ball Says Lonzo Won’t Re-Sign With the Lakers Unless They Take His Brothers Too

“I want all my three boys to play for the Lakers.”

Lonzo Ball’s future with the L.A. Lakers is dependent on his brothers joining the team, if his outspoken father is to be believed. 

LaVar Ball is currently in Lithuania, where his two younger sons, LaMelo and LiAngelo, are playing professionally for a low-level club. His master plan is to get all three sons on the Lakers’ roster in three years, when Lonzo’s rookie contract expires.  

Here’s his latest headline-grabbing quote, per Lithuanian basketball reporter Donatas Urbonas: 

“I want all my three boys to play for the Lakers. Lonzo will be on his third year and I want to let every NBA team know that Lonzo is not going to resign with the Lakers but will go to any team that will take all of my three boys.”

“Lonzo plays best when he is with his brother. Why wouldn’t—he is a hell of a shooter. They don’t play the same position. You see how successful he was when he was with his brother?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BY4BXYEh8Hd

Yahoo Sports broke down LaVar’s timeline. 

Lonzo is under contract through the 2020-21 season. The Lakers have team options on the final two years, but they’re not declining those unless Lonzo stumbles badly (in which case this is all moot).

The Lakers can also make Lonzo a restricted free agent in 2021, which means the soonest Lonzo can unilaterally leave Los Angeles is 2022, and that would require taking his qualifying in 2021.  

He’s putting a tremendous amount of pressure on all three boys, especially 19-year-old LiAngelo, who Sports Illustrated says is the worst NBA prospect of the three. 

In fact, LaVar wants LiAngelo on the Lakers this year. 

“If they [the Lakers] don’t take Gelo this year, I bring Gelo here to play with Melo for two years,” LaVar said. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTIGo92BB6p

The prospect of “The Big Three” Balls playing together on any NBA team sounds like a pipe dream, but you do you, LaVar.