Multiple front offices are operating under the assumption point guard LaMelo Ball will be the first name selected on draft night come Nov. 18, ESPN's Jonathan Givony reports.
Teams are expecting the Minnesota Timberwolves to either pick Ball first overall, or allow a different team to trade for their draft spot in order to select him.
Executives told Givony the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, and Oklahoma City Thunder are the three teams many expect to try trading up for Ball.
Ball hasn't worked out for any teams to this point of the pre-draft process and apparently doesn't intend to, according to Givony.
The youngest Ball brother played overseas in Australia's National Basketball League last season. He averaged 17 points, 6.8 assist, and 7.6 rebounds in 12 contests.
theScore's latest mock draft projects Ball as the first overall pick.
