NBA Draft: LiAngelo Ball not invited to the 2018 Combine

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LiAngelo Ball not invited to the 2018 NBA Draft Combine

What's the story?

LiAngelo Ball is not amongst the list of 69 players who will be attending the 2018 NBA Draft Combine.

In case you didn't know...

LiAngelo Ball withdrew from UCLA after they suspended him indefinitely due to a shoplifting incident in China. LiAngelo spent the last few months in Lithuania playing for Vytautas Prienu alongside his younger brother, LaMelo.

The heart of the matter...

Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania first released a full list of attendees for the 2018 NBA Draft Combine headlined by Duke forward Marvin Bagley III, Texas Center Mohamed Bamba, Alabama guard Collin Sexton and Missouri swingman Michael Porter Jr.

Josh Martin, a close source to Ball, reported that although LiAngelo was not invited, he still intends to work out for teams privately before the NBA Draft. He will also reportedly attend the Pro Basketball Combine at IMG Academy on May 22-23.

During his tenure of 15 games that he has played for Vytautas Prienu, Ball has averaged 12.9 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from three. While there were reports that LiAngelo was scouted by the Los Angeles Lakers, who drafted his big brother Lonzo Ball last summer, there is every indication to this point that suggests he will go undrafted on June 21, according to Donatas Urbonas.

According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, Ball "has no chance" to be one of the top 60 players selected at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. "He's not on any of our scouting lists even the extended lists," one NBA general manager told Wojnarowski.

What's next?

The NBA Draft Combine is in Chicago between May 16-20 and the NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on June 21.

Author's take

The Ball Brand has really been tarnished by the theatrics of LaVar Ball combined with the subpar rookie season of Lonzo Ball. It seems unlikely that the Los Angeles Lakers will recruit LiAngelo and therefore most likely he could go undrafted in the upcoming draft.

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