Lonzo Ball – New Orleans Pelicans
Just the other day, reports surfaced about the Pelicans taking trade offers for numerous players on their roster, including Lonzo Ball. With him being in the final year of his contract and the New Orleans’ backcourt getting younger and deeper, Lonzo is a player who could absolutely be on the move near the NBA trade deadline.
The Phoenix Suns would be a perfect spot for Lonzo Ball to go and learn from one of the all-time best point guards the game has seen, Chris Paul. Not to mention, Ball could be a perfect fit in the Suns’ second-unit off-the-bench.
In 16 games this season, Lonzo is averaging 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals and is shooting 39.9% from the floor, 32.5% from three-point range. Ball has scored in double-figures in four of his last six games and as a result, his trade stock has started to rise a bit.
The addition of Lonzo Ball would not only be great for the young guard but this entire Suns team as a whole given their lack of reliable talent in the backcourt. Ball would not only help this team greatly off-the-bench, but with him being in the final year of his contract, he could learn a lot from a veteran guard like Paul as he gets ready to hit the market next offseason.
Both Ball and Paul have a lot in common in the sense that they are both point guards who do a lot more for their teams than just pass. Chris Paul has always been a point guard who gets involved on both ends of the court and can not only dish out assists, but score and grab rebounds as well. Decision making and shot selection are two areas of Ball’s game that need improvement and would improve with the help of a guy like Chris Paul.
While he would not be “the guy” in Phoenix and would come off-the-bench for them, ending up on the Suns would be one of the best things that could happen to Lonzo Ball. He is still growing as a player and being able to learn from one of the best for a season could go a long way into making his career sustainable and worthwhile for teams around the NBA to invest in.
