Will LiAngelo Ball Be Drafted? Former UCLA Guard Gambles On Making Jump To NBA

LiAngelo Ball, regarded as the least talented among his two basketball-playing brothers, has made himself available for the 2018 NBA Draft in June.

But will a team select him?

The 19-year-old reportedly submitted early paperwork for draft eligibility and is expected to work out for several NBA teams and showcase his abilities in May for the Pro Basketball Committee in Florida, his agent Harrison Gaines told ESPN Tuesday.

Experts have mostly written off Ball’s chances of being drafted. Before he left high school, Ball was not considered an elite college prospect and therefore a longshot to reach the NBA.

Before signing with UCLA, Ball was given three out of five stars by recruiting website Rivals. He didn't play a minute of college basketball due to a suspension following November's shoplifting scandal in China.

Ball's contentious father, LaVar Ball, reportedly pulled LiAngelo Ball from the program after an indefinite suspension from the school. Considering the decision, teams may not draft him because of his inexperience and possible distractions from his father. His only experience since high school has been a short stint with Lithuanian team Vytautas Prienu.

The 6-foot-5 wing is averaging 15.7 points and 2.9 rebounds a game for Vytautas, while shooting 45 percent from the three-point line.

LiAngelo Ball was pegged as the least talented among his two brothers. Lonzo Ball, the eldest brother, was selected No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 and after one season at UCLA. His youngest brother LaMelo Ball, 16, is a five-star recruit who previously was slated to join UCLA.

In a GQ profile in July 2017, LaVar Ball downplayed the chances of LiAngelo Ball reaching the NBA.

“He’s going to be taken care of either way,” LaVar Ball said of LiAngelo Ball.