Report: Clippers make push for Lonzo Ball

Could Lonzo Ball be headed back to Los Angeles?

The New York Times' Marc Stein reports the Clippers are making a push for the former Los Angeles Lakers and current New Orleans Pelicans point guard ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

The Clippers, with a well-chronicled need for a playmaking upgrade, are exploring trade routes to acquiring New Orleans' Lonzo Ball before next Thursday's NBA trade deadline, league sources say.

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 19, 2021

Ball, 23, was the No. 2 overall pick by the Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft out of UCLA. After two seasons with the team, he was dealt to the Pelicans as part of the package that landed the Lakers Anthony Davis.

The Anaheim native is currently enjoying the best offensive season of his career, averaging 14.2 points on .425 shooting to go along with 5.6 assists and 4.2 boards in 31.7 minutes a night over 38 games.

It is unclear what the Clippers could be offering in return. Stein notes that the Clippers currently have a number of draft picks already spoken for in previous trades, so multiple teams could be required to facilitate any transaction.

Draft-pick limitations complicate any Clippers pursuit and would likely require a three-team (or more) construction ... but they have six days to keep working the market in search of a difference-making trade.

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 19, 2021

The Clippers currently own their 2021 first-round pick, but the New York Knicks own the right to a pick swap. Their second-round selection is owned by the Charlotte Hornets. The team's first-round selections in the near future are all owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the Paul George trade.