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PHOENIX, AZ – OCTOBER 24: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 24, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 131-113. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
If one were told ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft that soon-to-be Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> guard Lonzo Ball<\/a> might be out of the league less than 10 years later, most wouldn\u2019t take that bet.<\/p>\n Ball, the second pick in the draft, had his detractors, but even the loudest wouldn\u2019t have predicted he wouldn\u2019t have at least a semi-great NBA<\/a> career.<\/p>\n Nearly a decade later, Ball is a free agent despite teams out there needing some help in the backcourt. The 28-year-old played briefly for the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> before being dealt to the Utah Jazz<\/a> ahead of last season\u2019s trade deadline. The Jazz waived Ball after the trade.<\/p>\n Former Lakers Guard\u2019s Career Over? Ball is still in his 20s and a quality two-player guard, but he has been without a team for several months, and the start of a new season is right around the corner. According to Basketball Forever, the signs are starting to point to the inevitable for Ball.<\/p>\n \u201cIs Lonzo Ball\u2019s NBA career coming to an end? The signs are starting to point that way,\u201d the source wrote in an X post<\/a>. \u201cAfter returning from multiple major knee surgeries, Ball played just 35 games for Cleveland last season, averaging a career-low 4.6 PPG while shooting just 30.1% from the field and 27.2% from three.\u201d<\/p>\n Ball\u2019s career was derailed after a major knee injury that sidelined him for \u2026 wait for it \u2026 over 1,000 days. He went from one of the league\u2019s top ascending young point guards to having to prove again that he is a capable starter. Now it appears there is minimal to no interest from teams in the former lottery pick.<\/p>\n \u201cCleveland then traded him to Utah at the trade deadline, where the Jazz waived him making him a free agent,\u201d Basketball Forever wrote. \u201cAnd now, months later, Ball remains unsigned with little apparent NBA interest, despite being just 28 years old. After missing the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons and appearing in only 70 games across the following two seasons, durability has become the biggest question surrounding his future.\u201d<\/p>\n Ball\u2019s Career in L.A.<\/p>\n That Ball was supposed to be a superstar with the Lakers is a grave understatement.<\/p>\n He was viewed as the face of the franchise and the player who would lift the Lakers back to contender status (until LeBron James<\/a> showed up a year later).<\/p>\n After a rough NBA debut \u2014 many will remember the then-Clippers guard Patrick Beverley<\/a> barking at the Lakers crowd as he caged rookie Ball \u2014 the 6-foot-7 guard exploded in just his second game, tallying 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.<\/p>\n Ball finished his rookie season with mixed opinions from the public, but there was no denying that the Lakers had a potential future star on their hands.<\/p>\n Ball flashed more potential the following season playing alongside James, with both players recording a triple-double in a November win over Charlotte, becoming the first duo since Magic<\/a> Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to pull off such a feat.<\/p>\n It remains to be seen what comes next for Ball. Given his age and raw abilities, there is a chance another team gives him an opportunity.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAdel Ahmad<\/a> Adel is a writer with over five years of experience covering the NBA. His work has appeared on various media platforms, both national and local. 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GettyEL SEGUNDO, CA \u2013 SEPTEMBER 25: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks during media day September 25, 2017, in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n