The Phoenix Suns should have zero interest in trading for Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball is rumored to be on the trading block, and while the Phoenix Suns are forever in need of a point guard, they should not be interested in him.

Jay Williams recently dropped the rumor that the New Orleans Pelicans were shopping Lonzo Ball on the trade market. The question on every Phoenix Suns’ fan mind is, “Is Lonzo Ball Valley Boyz material?”

We asked this question via Twitter poll and the 953 of you that responded are relatively split on the matter. 46.2 percent seem to think the Suns should show interest in the eldest Ball brother while 53.8 percent are not so keen on the idea.

Should have made it a poll, so here’s a poll:

Should the Suns pursue Lonzo Ball if he is on the block?
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) August 21, 2020

The Phoenix Suns should have no interest in trading for Lonzo Ball.

While there is an argument to be had for going after him, put me in the majority camp on this one. I don’t think the Phoenix Suns should have anything to do with Lonzo Ball.

Throughout basketball history, I have never seen so much praise for a player whose best basketball skill is being able to throw a pretty accurate long-range pass on a fast break while being tall.

Maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but Lonzo has been overvalued since forever, and while his shooting has improved more than I thought it ever would (he shot 37.5 percent from 3 this year), he still has a long way to go to be worth what he (and his dad) likely thinks.

Why does that matter? Ball will be on the last year of his rookie contract next season where he will make $11 million. He and the Pelicans were reportedly in talks of signing an extension this summer, but a deal has not yet been finalized. Someone will pay him, the question is who and how much?

It is hard to answer that question because, you know, COVID-19 ruins everything. We don’t yet know, but the revenue lost due to the hiatus could lower the salary cap by around $10-$15 million, which would affect any player who signs this offseason. If Ball were to wait until after next season, he could be in line for a much larger paycheck, especially if he continues to improve.

That being said, many compare him to Jamal Murray of the Spurs, who inked a 5-year $117 million deal when he was in the same place as Lonzo.

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Before the world went on lockdown, Ball was playing unbelievably well, averaging 14.2 points, 8.5 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game in the 31 games before the season came to an abrupt pause. However, in the bubble, Ball’s production sank to just 7.1 points, 6.6 assists, and five rebounds per game.

This kind of inconsistency has plagued Ball through his first three seasons in the NBA and why it would be very risky for the Phoenix Suns to trade for him with the presumable intention of giving him an extension.

There is no way they would give up assets to rent him for one season with no guarantee he would re-sign as a free agent in 2021 (assuming he wants to wait until the cap increases to sign). All of this could factor into why the Pelicans are rumored to have him on the trade block in the first place.

I am not high on LaMelo Ball and I’m not big on Lonzo Ball either. With Booker all but dating Kendall Jenner now, the Suns will have enough families who are famous for being famous around. No need to invite another.