Many mock drafts had LaMelo Ball going No. 1 but the point guard is happy with his situation, being taken No. 3 by the Hornets.
“I definitely feel great falling into with them,” Ball told me and other media members via Zoom. “But the way I’ve fallen down, I never looked at it like that because, like I say, whatever happens happens, and I feel like it’s God’s plan. So wherever he wanted to put me, that’s where he put me, and I feel like he’s going to let me blossom there.”
There had been rumors that Ball was in consideration for the No. 1 pick, though Minnesota opted to go with Anthony Edwards in that spot. With the Timberwolves, Ball may have been eased into action, though in Charlotte, he may be called on to be the franchise star from day one.
“I feel like I can go out there and play basketball,” Ball added. “I feel like I was born to do this. That’s really my answer right there.”
Here are more odds & ends from around the NBA:
- The Thunder acquired Kelly Oubre Jr. in the Chris Paul trade, though the franchise is looking to flip the small forward elsewhere, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears. Oklahoma City is looking to acquire another first-rounder for Oubre.
- While the Warriors selected James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick, that doesn’t mean the team won’t look to add another big man this offseason, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Poole notes that the club has its “eye on at least four” vets.
- Wiseman outlined his expectations for the upcoming season, telling me and other media via zoom that he just wanted to “learn as much as possible and get better every day.” The center added that winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award is on his list of goals, though he’s just focused on growing as a player around his new veteran teammates.
