After a solid stint in Professional Basketball Combine at IMG and a workout with the Los Angeles Lakers, things haven’t really changed for LiAngelo Ball as far as his chance of getting picked in the 2018 NBA Draft is concerned. NBA mock drafts are still projecting Lonzo Ball’s brother to go undrafted.

But the biggest setback in LiAngelo’s quest to become a full-fledged NBA player came from veteran NBA insider Sam Amick, who reported last week on USA Today that the Lakers currently have zero interest in using their draft picks for Ball.

The scenario of Ball not getting picked by Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka would be a backbreaking development for LaVar Ball and his vision of running the Lakers organization with all three of his sons (Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo) in purple-and-gold uniforms.

LiAngelo is still scheduled to have a private workout with the Golden State Warriors on June 10 and hinted there are more coming. Then again, it’s going to be interesting to see how Ball and his team approach the pre-draft process over the next three weeks especially after learning the Lakers’ lukewarm stance when it comes to drafting him.

The good news is anything can still happen between now and June 22. Weird things have happened in previous NBA Drafts and this year’s shell-shocker could be LiAngelo landing elsewhere. If the Lakers don’t pick LiAngelo, then someone else could.

Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban’s team owns the fifth, 34th and 54th picks (via Portland) in this year’s draft. It’s almost a guarantee that the Mavs won’t be picking LiAngelo at five or 34. Perhaps, just maybe, LiAngelo at 54?

Remember, this is the same team that rolled the dice on Satnam Singh at 52 in 2015. While Satnam already had an NBA-ready body, NBA scouts considered him too raw to play in the big league.

After two seasons in the D-League, Satnam returned to India with his NBA dream unfulfilled.

The thing is -- Cuban loves attention, and he’ll pull off crazy stunts whenever he feels likes it.

Sacramento Kings

There isn’t an appropriate word to describe how bad the King’s track record in the draft has been over the last 15 years.

Sacramento’s biggest draft hits during that span are perennial All-NBA star DeMarcus Cousins and two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas, and both are already gone.

Vlade Divac has been in charge of the Kings’ endless rebuilding process. Don’t be overly surprised if Sacramento gambles on LiAngelo with the 36th pick. Why? Because it's the Kings, that's why.

Phoenix Suns

From one cellar-dweller to another, the Suns got lucky this year by finally landing the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Aside from the top pick, they have three more selections: the 16th, 31st and 54th. The Suns are in dire need of shooters. Yes, they have Devon Booker but Phoenix was dead last in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (33 percent) this season.

If there’s one skill-set LiAngelo can bring to the table, then it is three-point shooting. During his stay in Lithuania, Ball shot 41 percent over 14 games. It’s a small sample size, yet three-point shooting has been his calling card since his high-school days. For a team deprived of shooters, the Suns might consider a streaky shooter in LiAngelo Ball a real option.

In the end, Ball would probably end up being undrafted and suiting up for the Lakers at the Las Vegas summer league. Many scouts and executives were already closing the door on LiAngelo before he became draft eligible. They say his overall basketball skills are not good enough even for a G-League team. Unfortunately, the possibility is that LiAngelo is being ostracized because of his affiliation with the BBB brand. There’s no bigger reason than that.
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