LiAngelo Ball has left UCLA, and the NBA reportedly has zero interest in his services.
After the news broke that Ball was leaving the school, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted, “Ex-UCLA freshman LiAngelo Ball has no chance that he’ll be drafted in June — and that was true before his shoplifting incident in China. ‘He’s not on any of our scouting lists — even the extended lists,’ one GM told ESPN.”
He also added that Ball should probably just head back to college somewhere.
Ex-UCLA freshman LiAngelo Ball has no chance that he’ll be drafted in June — and that was true before his shoplifting incident in China. “He’s not on any of our scouting lists — even the extended lists,” one GM told ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 4, 2017
Ball will struggle to find a serious job playing pro basketball, including the G-League. @Mike_Schmitz projected him in high school as a small-ball stretch 4-man at the mid-major college level. Would make sense for Ball to find a scholarship at a lower level and stay in school.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 4, 2017
Wojnarowski is absolutely correct here. There is no shot that LiAngelo is going to the NBA unless he gets a lot better in the near future. His brother Lonzo has all the makings of an NBA star. His little brother LaMelo is also incredibly talented. LiAngelo is a solid ball player, but he’s not a pro. It’s just that simple.
Leaving UCLA will probably look like a big mistake in the next few years. I don’t see any other team of UCLA’s stature taking a chance on him, especially given the fact that his father LaVar will be coming with. Of course, there is a chance LiAngelo could break into a lower level European league, and try to work his way up the ladder that way. The only thing I know for sure right now is that he won’t be playing in the NBA next season. No shot.