Opinion: LiAngelo Ball? After Shining In NBA Summer League The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets And Indiana Pacers Should Look At The Middle Ball Brother

LiAngelo Ball played in the NBA Summer League for the Charlotte Hornets and in five games he averaged 9.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in just under 18 minutes per game.
Not too shabby.
The 22 year old was fifth on the team in scoring, second in steals while only playing the eighth most minutes per game out of 13 players.
He proved that he can play.
LiAngelo Ball is proving to us that he’s worth a league opportunity…that’s it. That’s all.
— Ry (@JustRyCole) August 15, 2021
I’ve seen both of Giannis’ brothers get looks and they’re not anything remotely close to as skilled as Gelo. That’s it. That’s all.
Jordan Schultz of ESPN reported on Twitter that the Hornets love Ball, and his Tweets can be seen embedded below.
Spoke w/#Hornets assistant coach Jay Triano, who said this of @LiAngeloBall: “Great kid. Love him. He was at the facility practicing everyday for two months to play in the Summer League. Shows a ton of character. He can shoot it, great feel, knack for scoring.”
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 15, 2021
Since he is a free agent, here are some teams that should take a look at the middle Ball brother.
Charlotte Hornets: This one is obvious. LiAngelo played for their NBA Summer League team and performed at a very high level in the first few games. His younger brother LaMelo is their franchise point guard who just won Rookie of The Year, and he has a long history of playing with his brothers. Now that he's been with the organization, this would be the ideal fit.
Learn about @LiAngeloBall! ⤵️ #AllFly pic.twitter.com/T98Ce0qF4G
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 13, 2021
Indiana Pacers: The Indiana Pacers need some excitement. Yes, a player that will likely get limited minutes or be a candidate for a two-way contract does not bring much excitement. However, they are a team that lacks a significant social media presence from their players and only have one National TV game all season (see Tweet below from Scott Agness of The Fieldhouse Flies).
Here’s the Pacers’ full 2021-22 schedule.
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) August 20, 2021
Starts Oct. 20
One national TV game (12/21 at Miami on TNT)
Concludes Apr. 10 pic.twitter.com/v4YCouSSMf
Ball is only 22 years old, so on the floor that is worth the flyer in itself. He is also a forward who can shoot and defend (something the Pacers need off the bench), and If he were to pan out, he would be a player that would get more people interested in the team.
Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers need to fill out their roster with players on cheap contracts, and that have youth and shooting ability. At 22 years old, Ball is inexpensive, a shooter and young. The Lakers are also very familiar with the family because Lonzo was their 2018 number two overall pick before he was traded to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade.
🗣 "Rise and fire!"
— NBA (@NBA) August 15, 2021
LiAngelo Ball drains the deep triple 🎯
Fourth-quarter #NBASummer action 🔜 on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/hpN6QFVVDC
New York Knicks: The Knicks play in the Mecca. Madison Square Garden. If he were to be able to make the roster, he would be an instant fan favorite. The reaction to Ball on social media and in the stands at NBA Summer League shows what he brings in terms of excitement and there is no better place for that than the Garden. That being said, just from a basketball perspective, the Knicks could use a small forward off the bench that can shoot and they're a relatively young team.
🚨 COUNT IT 🚨
— NBA (@NBA) August 12, 2021
LiAngelo Ball beats the buzzer from distance on ESPNU! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/umo730e7rS
Bouknight sets up LiAngelo on the three-ball 🎯#NBASummer pic.twitter.com/3FoodOcZpn
— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 14, 2021

Ben Stinar is a former beat writer for AllPacers.com. He is a 2021 Hilltop30 Scholarship Fund recipient.