LaMelo leaves Australia, team owner 'disappointed'

Prospective NBA lottery pick LaMelo Ball left Australia and returned to the United States, his NBL club the Ilawarra Hawks confirmed. Ball's lone season in the professional league Down Under ended in December, when he suffered a bone bruise in his foot.

Still, the departure doesn't appear to sit well with the Hawks owner.

"I'm really disappointed that he didn't say goodbye to his teammates and his coach," Simon Stratford said, according to ABC News' Timothy Hernandez.

Hawks teammate Todd Blanchfield added he wasn't told Ball was leaving the country.

"It's news to me, but (Ball's camp has) got an agenda they have to take care of," Blanchfield said. "At the end of the day he's thinking of the bigger picture and has bigger things in mind."

Ball, the brother of New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, projects as the top point guard in this year's draft class. In 12 NBL games, he averaged 17 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds on 37.5% shooting.