Source says Lonzo Ball uncertain on non-Lakers workouts

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Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Lonzo Ball is undecided on whether he will work out for teams other than theLos Angeles Lakers, a source close to Ball told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

"We will make that decision closer to June," the source said.

The source added that it has been "clear from the start our desired destination is Los Angeles."

Ball starred in his only season at nearby UCLA. He also played high school ball at Chino Hills.

A Lakers source says the team will look at dozens of players with the second and 28th picks. The players under the strongest consideration at No. 2 right now are Markelle Fultz, Ball, De'Aaron Fox, Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum.

If Ball spurns the Celtics, who hold the No. 1 pick, it could have major financial implications. The difference on a guaranteed rookie wage scale contract between No. 1 and No. 2 is $2,202,900, according to the collective bargaining agreement. The difference could be more striking if taxes are considered; California has the highest state taxes in the United States at 13.3 percent, while Massachusetts' taxes are 5.1 percent.

Speaking after the draft lottery Tuesday night, general manager Rob Pelinka noted there is no clear-cut No. 1.

"The harder call may be the first one," he said. "Sometimes having the second pick is better than the first. We're sitting in a fantastic position.

"I think there are four, five guys that are well suited to be [drafted] at the top."

Lakers president Magic Johnson said the No. 2 pick gives them "a lot more options."

"I'm good at No. 2, when you've got this much quality of talent that's in this draft," Johnson said. "This draft is just not 1-5, 1-6. This draft is 1-30. They've got some really good players in this draft.

"This is one of the deepest drafts I've seen. We're excited. No. 2 is good. It's better than not having a pick at all. We're excited. When he said who was No. 4, I went, 'OK, I'm good now,' If I get [No.] 3, I'm good. If I get [No.] 2, I'm good. If I get [No.] 1, I'm good. So it's a good situation to be in."

Pelinka reiterated that a player's father -- in this case LaVar Ball, the outspoken dad of Lonzo -- won't have any bearing on the team's decision, a point Johnson made at the NBA draft combine last week.

"We're going to evaluate the players and who they are as players," Pelinka said.

ESPN's Baxter Holmes and Darren Rovell contributed to this report.

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