Lonzo Ball has played himself out of trade talks?

Lonzo Ball may have just taken his fate into his own hands with his excellent play of late.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported on Monday that there is now little expectation that the New Orleans Pelicans will move Ball before the trade deadline. Fischer adds that fellow guards JJ Redick and Eric Bledsoe still appear to be very much available, however.

The timing here hardly has to be coincidental for the 23-year-old Ball. He just wrapped up an impressive month of February where he put up 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Ball is also shooting three-pointers with much more confidence, connecting on a career-best 39.3 percent of them on the year as a whole.

There were some intriguing possible trade destinations mentioned for Ball. But his offensive game finally appears to be coming around to match his dynamic defense. Combine that with the strong chemistry that Ball shares with Zion Williamson, and you can see why the Pelicans would be smart to keep him around.