Lonzo Ball is projected to be one of the top picks in next month's NBA Draft. He showed a lot of promise in his one season at UCLA with a natural ability to move the ball and keep the offense flowing. For most projections he's the second-best prospect in this year's draft behind only Washington point guard Markelle Fultz.
Ball has also been in the headlines thanks to his outspoken father saying that Ball will be drafted by and only play for the Lakers. Los Angeles has the No. 2 pick, which fits in nicely with Ball's current projection. If the Lakers want him and he wants the Lakers there shouldn't be a problem. Ball must feel that way, because he has told the Celtics that he will not be working out for them, reports president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.
Danny Ainge says on @Toucherandrich that Lonzo Ball has informed the Celtics he will not work out for them prior to draft.
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) May 25, 2017
The Celtics have the No. 1 pick and they're in the Eastern Conference finals, making them one of the more interesting teams at that spot. Being drafted by Boston could guarantee wins early, but playing time might be difficult. Ball seems to want to be a star and the best place to start that role would be on a rebuilding team.
That said, there's nothing really strange about Ball not working out for the Celtics. Many top prospects in previous drafts have declined working out for teams once they reached a certain point in projections. There's no real way for Ball to increase his draft stock any higher and workouts only risk injury. It's in his best interest to just wait it out until draft night.
