News has it that Lonzo Ball is considering a pre-draft workout with the Philadelphia 76ers. According to NBA reporter Chris Haynes, Ball's agent, Harrison Gaines, and 76ers G.M. Bryan Colangelo have been in talks about inviting Ball over to potentially play alongside Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the rest of the team's growing roster of talent. A decision to work out for the number 3 spot the Sixers hold flies in the face of Ball's camp choosing to turn down a date to give the Celtics a shot at looking at him for their no. 1 overall selection; a move that Stephen A. Smith says "has his father written all over it."

"We tried to get [Ball] in," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed during an appearance on Boston's sports radio 98.5 on Thursday, May 25. "We don't deal with [Ball's camp] all that much. They didn't show up at the combine," he said, but in the same breath acknowledged that it was common for top 10-15 players to forego the combine. Still, the number 1 overall pick is an exceptional deal, and nobody can say that the Celtics didn't show interest. "We just tried to get him in for a workout and they politely said no," said Ainge.

In spite of Smith's recommendation that going forward Ball acquire an agent that could prevent him from losing out on what he sees as an opportunity in Boston, there may, however, be factors beyond LaVar that are keeping his son away from the Eastern Conference champs. For starters, Lonzo has actually had an agent since April, when Gaines was brought on board to represent him through the earliest stage of his career.

The Balls have of course let it be known that their preference is for the Anaheim-born star to follow up his college year at UCLA by staying in L.A. with the Lakers, who hold the 2nd pick in the draft order. But despite stating an intention to play in California and California only, a 76ers workout may be a subtle concession that regardless of their effort to make it clear to L.A. that Ball wants to wear purple and gold, they understood there is no promise he'll go number 2. And if such turns out to be the case, heading out East to ball in Philly could be a better bet for him than having him potentially slide to the 4th or 5th spot in the draft.

Either which way, it is expected that Boston will select University of Washington standout, Markelle Fultz. But one never does know, as Ainge stated that Boston has drafted players who didn't workout for them before.

Source: youtube.com