What's Next For LiAngelo Ball? Guard Has Limited Basketball Options After Leaving UCLA

LaVar Ball, the outspoken father of Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball, told ESPN on Monday that another of his sons, LiAngelo Ball, who was arrested on shoplifting charges in China and was later suspended by UCLA, has left the program.

"We are exploring other options with Gelo," LaVar Ball said. "He's out of there."

Freshman LiAngelo Ball, 19, never played for UCLA after entering as a three-star prospect from Chino Hills High School in Southern California. He was one of three UCLA players arrested in November for allegedly shoplifting at a high-end store in Hangzhou, China, ahead of a game against Georgia Tech in Shanghai.

LaVar Ball said LiAngelo Ball "wasn't punished this bad in China."

"We get back over here and the consequences were even stiffer than China. So basically they're in jail here," he added.

LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill faced up to 10 years in prison for the incident and were not allowed to leave the hotel. They were released days after their arrest and then another media storm ensued when President Donald Trump claimed he personally asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to help resolve the case. Trump then claimed he didn't receive proper appreciation from LaVar Ball and later posted on Twitter: "I should have left them in jail!"

It's unclear what the future of LiAngelo Ball will be after leaving the UCLA Bruins, but a quote from LaVar Ball in a June interview with GQ might provide an indication.

"I told my boys that one of them wasn’t going to make it. Because if you’ve got three, only one, maybe two make it to the NBA," LaVar Ball said.

Reporter Zach Baron wrote that LaVar Ball was referring to LiAngelo Ball, his middle son.

"He’s going to be taken care of either way," LaVar Ball said of LiAngelo, and then suggested that LiAngelo could have a future as a model.

Leaving the UCLA Bruins puts LiAngelo Ball's future in doubt. A reason he was on the UCLA roster was due to his older brother, Lonzo, starring there last year, and because his five-star recruit younger brother, LaMelo, is slated to go there in 2019.

So what's next for LiAngelo Ball? His options might be limited since he doesn't have much competitive experience and is not a highly rated player.

Play For Another College

It might be difficult to play for another school considering the distraction that accompanies his father. But a school might be willing to take a chance on him, though it's doubtful that it will be a program as prestigious as UCLA. NCAA rules may prohibit him from playing until the 2018-19 season.

Don't Pursue Other Teams And Apply For The NBA Draft

This is not an ideal situation since he isn't expected to be drafted. While LiAngelo Ball is good enough to make the UCLA roster, he probably has little chance to make an NBA roster anytime soon. He could perhaps polish his skills with personal coaches and then take a shot at NBA pre-draft combines in the summer, but he would still be a longshot to sign with an NBA team.

Sign With A European Team

It's doubtful that LiAngelo Ball can land a big contract in Europe, but there might be some teams willing to sign him. By playing for a European team, he would at least have the opportunity to receive a decent salary and gain enough experience to improve his chances of playing in the NBA.

What seems certain is that he won't play in China.