Despite reported interest in Lonzo Ball shortly after the February mid-season trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors have somewhat surprisingly chose not to renew a pursuit of the former second overall pick in free agency over the past two months.
The Warriors did reportedly show interest in another super size point guard in three time All-Star Ben Simmons, making their lack of interest in Ball notable as the former Los Angeles Lakers guard struggles to find another NBA opportunity.
Warriors surprisingly haven’t shown interest in Lonzo Ball this offseason
Ball had a rough time at the Cleveland Cavaliers early last season before being traded to the Utah Jazz in a cost-cutting move. He was then waived and hit the buyout market, but interest from the Warriors went nowhere as they preferred to convert the two-way contract of the now departed Pat Spencer.
While never delivering on the expected stardom of a second overall pick, Ball did threaten to become an elite role player at the Chicago Bulls before knee injuries decimated his career. Still, his apparent exit from the league at just 27-years-old is disappointing and there's no real speculation of where he could wind up next to continue his career.
Is Ball not willing to accept a training camp contract? If the Warriors were willing to give Simmons one after no games last season and just 108 appearance is in the past five years, then why not also extend one to Ball in the wake of the three-time All-Star's move to the Sacramento Kings?
The interest in Simmons from not only Golden State and Sacramento, but also the Minnesota Timberwolves and NBA Champion New York Knicks, suggest teams are more willing to take a risk on the 30 year-old turning around his mental fragility, as opposed to Ball getting his body healthy after only 105 games in the past five years.
Warriors were right to have some interest in Lonzo Ball
The idea of Ball in theory would be an excellent addition to Golden State. The 6'6" point guard with excellent passing vision also briefly showed in Chicago that he could play off the ball as a catch and shoot threat, all the while being a high-level perimeter defender.
It’s that versatility that could’ve not only made him a backup point guard behind Stephen Curry, but also a potential backcourt partner for the two-time MVP where they could share the ball-handling duties while also being threats off the ball.
As it turned out, the Warriors interest in ball after February's deadline might have been his last NBA opportunity, and there’s a chance we may have seen the end of him at the NBA level.
