It appears as though the injury issues that Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram dealt with as members of the Los Angeles Lakers last season didn’t travel with them to New Orleans.
According to a report from Andrew Lopez of ESPN, both Ball and Ingram have been full participants in the Pelicans‘ voluntary offseason workouts in New Orleans. Ingram missed the final five weeks of last season while suffering from deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, while Ball was shut down by the team in March due to a severe sprain in his left ankle. He missed the Lakers’ final 35 games of the season.
With the start of training camp just weeks away, this is obviously great news for the Pelicans, as they want all of their new pieces to be fully functional heading into the season.
Ball and Ingram were both traded together from the Lakers to the Pelicans in exchange for All-Star center Anthony Davis over the offseason, and they project to form a formidable young core in New Orleans along with the top pick from the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson.
After two seasons spent dealing with various injuries and consistent trade speculation in Los Angeles, Ball is excited about getting a fresh start in New Orleans.
“Obviously, injuries kind of messed up things a little bit,” Ball said of his brief tenure with the Lakers. “But you take the bumps with the bruises and keep moving forward. Only been in the league for two years and looking forward to this third year in New Orleans, get a fresh start and show people what I can do.
“I know New Orleans is excited to have me, and I’m excited to get started. Moving to a new team, a new situation, a new organization, new coaches, new everything — it’s a refresh, getting back to playing basketball how I know I can play.”
Now both (hopefully) healthy, with the consistent trade speculation that came with being a member of the LeBron James-led Lakers behind them, and surrounded by other talented young players, Ball and Ingram should have an excellent opportunity to reach their full potential as players in New Orleans.
