Lakers Coach Luke Walton On Drafting Lonzo Ball: ‘He Was The One We Wanted’

Ryan Ward
2 Min Read


Lonzo Ball is officially a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The former UCLA star was taken second overall by the Lakers in Thursday’s NBA Draft, and head coach Luke Walton is happy about the outcome with a new point guard coming to Los Angeles.

After the team had selected Ball, Walton spoke with Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet about his thoughts on the team going with the former Bruins floor general at No. 2:

Although there has been a lot of speculation about the intentions of the Lakers brass heading into draft day, Ball appears to have been the choice all along. Walton claims Lonzo is the one player the team wanted, via Bresnahan:

With Ball now set to wear purple and gold, the 19-year-old will likely be tasked with being the starting point guard for the storied franchise moving forward. D’Angelo Russell is headed to Brooklyn as a result of the team’s recent trade to acquire Brook Lopez opening up the spot as the backcourt leader.

The question now is who will be playing alongside Ball next season. The rumors continue to swirl about the team potentially still looking to make trades either to move up in the draft or acquire a proven star like Paul George of the Indiana Pacers.

As of right now, Ball and Lopez are the new additions to the Lakers franchise, but more moves could be on the way with the team still possessing two more first-round picks (27, 28) in the draft.

Follow:
Ryan Ward is a Reporter/Editor and shares duties of being a Social Media Manager on a daily basis at Lakers Nation. As a credentialed member of the media, Ryan covers Lakers home games, press conferences as well as interviewing players from both the NBA and NFL. A Los Angeles native, but born and bred in the UK. Long-suffering Raiders fan and a Liverpool supporter since birth.
Exit mobile version