# Lonzo Ball
**Lonzo Ball** (born 1997) is an American professional basketball player, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard who was selected second overall by the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-lakers) in the 2017 NBA Draft and has since played for the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, and [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland-cavaliers).[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) • [2](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/bio?id=4066421) He is the son of LaVar and Tina Ball and the older brother of LiAngelo and [LaMelo Ball](https://www.edgepedia.org/lamelo-ball).[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1997, Chino Hills, California[2](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/bio?id=4066421) |
| Draft | 2017 first round, second overall, by the Los Angeles Lakers[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/balllo01.html) |
| College | One season at UCLA: 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and an NCAA-leading 7.6 assists per game; consensus First-Team All-American[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) |
| Honors | NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2018); Pac-12 Co-Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year (2016-17)[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) |
| Career averages | 11.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals per game; .400 FG, .364 3PT, .578 FT[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) |
| Teams | Lakers 2017-2019, Pelicans 2019-2021, Bulls 2021-2022 and 2024-2025, Cavaliers 2025-2026[2](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/bio?id=4066421) |
| Injury layoff | Missed the entire 2023-24 season after left knee surgery and returned to the NBA after more than 1,000 days out[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) • [4](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/el-milagro-de-lonzo-ball-un-regreso-inedito-mas-de-1000-dias-despues-n/) |
## College career at UCLA
Ball spent one season at UCLA, averaging 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and an NCAA-leading 7.6 assists per game across 36 contests in 2016-17.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) He earned consensus First-Team All-American recognition, NABC D-I All-America First Team and Freshman of the Year selection, and was named Pac-12 Co-Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio)
His passing set records. He set UCLA's single-season assists record with 274, the second-highest single-season total in Pac-12 history and a freshman record, and set the school's single-game freshman assists record with 14 against Washington State.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) Not since [Jason Kidd](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-kidd) in 1992-93 had a Pac-12 player posted per-game averages of 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists, making Ball the first to do so.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) When the Lakers made him the second overall pick in 2017, he became the highest draft selection out of UCLA since David Greenwood was taken No. 2 in 1979.[5](https://uclabruins.com/documents/download/2017/10/15/MBKB_18MG_72_86.pdf)
## NBA career
**Los Angeles Lakers (2017-2019).** Ball appeared in 99 games, 95 starts, for the Lakers and made the All-Rookie Second Team in 2018.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) His rookie season was uneven: an ABC News analysis noted he shot 1-of-9 from the field, missing all six 3-point attempts, in a loss to Philadelphia, then recorded a triple-double of 11 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists four nights later against Denver.[6](https://abcnews.com/Sports/lonzo-balls-strengths-make-glaring-weaknesses/story?id=51314404)
**New Orleans Pelicans (2019-2021).** Ball was included in the multi-team trade that sent [Anthony Davis](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-davis) to the Lakers in 2019.[4](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/el-milagro-de-lonzo-ball-un-regreso-inedito-mas-de-1000-dias-despues-n/) Away from the Los Angeles spotlight, his game improved: he averaged 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in the pandemic-shortened season, then progressed to 14.6 points while shooting close to 38 percent on threes the following year.[4](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/el-milagro-de-lonzo-ball-un-regreso-inedito-mas-de-1000-dias-despues-n/) After reshaping his shooting mechanics upon arriving in New Orleans, he made 37.6 percent of his 3-point attempts (320 of 850) as a Pelican.[7](https://theanalyst.com/articles/lonzo-ball-new-orleans-pelicans-restricted-free-agent)
**Chicago Bulls (2021-2022, 2024-2025).** Ball signed with Chicago for the 2021-22 season and was a starter, averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting above 42 percent from three through 55 games before a knee injury ended his progress.[4](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/el-milagro-de-lonzo-ball-un-regreso-inedito-mas-de-1000-dias-despues-n/) He missed the entire 2023-24 season due to left knee surgery.[1](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio) His return to the NBA after more than 1,000 days out was described as an unprecedented comeback.[4](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/el-milagro-de-lonzo-ball-un-regreso-inedito-mas-de-1000-dias-despues-n/) Across four years in Chicago he played only 70 games.[8](https://as.com/us/baloncesto/lonzo-ball-llega-a-cleveland-a-cambio-de-isaac-okoro-n/)
**Cleveland Cavaliers and later moves (2025-2026).** Chicago acquired [Isaac Okoro](https://www.edgepedia.org/isaac-okoro) from [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) in exchange for Ball in 2025.[9](https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/bulls.pdf?tid=1736569615503) In Cleveland he averaged 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, and his 43.4 percent true shooting was the lowest mark for a Cavalier since Anthony Bennett's rookie season in 2013-14.[10](https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/01/07/cavaliers-cavs-lonzo-ball-problem) He was then acquired by the [Utah Jazz](https://www.edgepedia.org/utah-jazz) in a three-team trade with the Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, with Utah expected to waive him; at the time of that trade he had one year remaining on his contract with a team option for 2026-27.[11](https://www.nba.com/news/lonzo-ball-jazz-hawks-cavs-trade)
## Playing style
Ball's defining skills are passing, rebounding for a guard, and perimeter defense. Scouting reports before the 2017 draft credited him with outstanding vision and unselfishness, and noted his 6-foot-6 frame gave him unusual size for the point guard position.[12](https://www.si.com/nba/2017/06/22/lonzo-ball-nba-draft-2017-scouting-report-analysis) • [13](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-draft-2017-lonzo-ball-scouting-report-stats-lakers-celtics-lavar-dad-rumors/1163y8k8wm5v81boxs20h7btcg) His length also makes him a help defender who can make occasional plays at the rim, though quicker guards have exposed him at times as an on-ball defender.[14](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/lonzo-ball-lakers-news-stats-highlights-shooting-scouting-report-video-nba-draft-2017-kyle-kuzma/im3ljxbbxlwd1oxny758711dd)
His long-standing limitation is self-creation. An analysis of his Pelicans years described him as a transition playmaker rather than a reliable half-court initiator: he rarely pressures the defense on the ball, struggles to bend defenses in pick-and-roll, and his finishing at the rim (56.2 percent in 2020-21) and low rim frequency reflect a lack of burst and a poor one-foot leap.[7](https://theanalyst.com/articles/lonzo-ball-new-orleans-pelicans-restricted-free-agent) The same analysis concluded his best offensive role is as a play-linking, floor-spacing wing, noting that among 117 players with at least 150 assists in 2020-21 he ranked second in the percentage of assists delivered at the rim (53.8 percent).[7](https://theanalyst.com/articles/lonzo-ball-new-orleans-pelicans-restricted-free-agent) His relative true shooting improved steadily, from 11.2 percent below league average as a rookie to 2.1 percent below in his fourth season.[7](https://theanalyst.com/articles/lonzo-ball-new-orleans-pelicans-restricted-free-agent)
## References
1. [Lonzo Ball player bio, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/player/1628366/lonzo-ball/bio)
2. [Lonzo Ball Biography, ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/bio?id=4066421)
3. [Lonzo Ball Stats, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/balllo01.html)
4. [El milagro de Lonzo Ball: un regreso inédito más de 1.000 días después, AS.com](https://as.com/baloncesto/nba/el-milagro-de-lonzo-ball-un-regreso-inedito-mas-de-1000-dias-despues-n/)
5. [UCLA Bruins 2017-18 Media Guide, Graduated/Drafted Players](https://uclabruins.com/documents/download/2017/10/15/MBKB_18MG_72_86.pdf)
6. [Do Lonzo Ball's strengths make up for his glaring weaknesses?, ABC News](https://abcnews.com/Sports/lonzo-balls-strengths-make-glaring-weaknesses/story?id=51314404)
7. [Restricted: What Teams Should and Shouldn't Expect to Get With Lonzo Ball, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/articles/lonzo-ball-new-orleans-pelicans-restricted-free-agent)
8. [Lonzo Ball llega a Cleveland a cambio de Isaac Okoro, AS.com](https://as.com/us/baloncesto/lonzo-ball-llega-a-cleveland-a-cambio-de-isaac-okoro-n/)
9. [Chicago Bulls Game Notes, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/bulls.pdf?tid=1736569615503)
10. [Lonzo Ball is putting together one of the worst shooting seasons in Cavs history, Axios Cleveland](https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/01/07/cavaliers-cavs-lonzo-ball-problem)
11. [Cavs deal Lonzo Ball to Jazz in three-team swap, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/lonzo-ball-jazz-hawks-cavs-trade)
12. [Who is Lonzo Ball? Scouting report, bio, analysis of top NBA draft prospect, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nba/2017/06/22/lonzo-ball-nba-draft-2017-scouting-report-analysis)
13. [NBA Draft scouting report: Will Lonzo Ball's immense talent outweigh concerns?, Sporting News](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-draft-2017-lonzo-ball-scouting-report-stats-lakers-celtics-lavar-dad-rumors/1163y8k8wm5v81boxs20h7btcg)
14. [Lonzo Ball's roller-coaster rookie season, Sporting News](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/lonzo-ball-lakers-news-stats-highlights-shooting-scouting-report-video-nba-draft-2017-kyle-kuzma/im3ljxbbxlwd1oxny758711dd)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › Current NBA players › Point guards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license