LaMelo Ball has his next basketball home.
Ball announced Monday that he has signed a “next stars” contract with the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks in Australia with the goal of becoming the top pick in next year’s NBA Draft.
LaMelo Ball has signed with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian @NBL, he just announced on ESPN's the Jump. "My goal is to be the top pick in next year's Draft and I feel they can help me reach that goal," Ball told ESPN.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 17, 2019
This is not a surprise, as the Hawks were linked to Ball quite recently. The youngest Ball son briefly spent time in Lithuania after being pulled out of high school, then spent time at the Spire Institute in Ohio. Most recently, he has played in the Drew League in Los Angeles.
Ball will be eligible for next year’s NBA Draft and will be hoping that a strong year down under will bolster his draft stock.
