LiAngelo Ball to enter NBA draft after season in Lithuania

SportsPulse: While some of LaVar Ball's claims have come true in the past, this one might be pretty lofty. USA TODAY Sports

LiAngelo Ball has submitted the necessary paperwork to become eligible for the 2018 NBA draft, his agent, Harrison Gaines, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt on Tuesday.

Ball will attempt to join his older brother, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo, in the league after a tumultuous season in which he was suspended by the UCLA basketball team for an international shoplifting incident, left the program and played professionally in Lithuania.

Ball is expected to participate in the Professional Basketball Combine May 22-23 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. That is a secondary event for players showcasing their skills in front of NBA, G-League and international executives and scouts, and it follows the NBA-sponsored draft combine May 16-20 in Chicago.

Ball has averaged 15.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in nine league games for Lithuanian team Vytautas Prienu this season while playing alongside his younger brother, LaMelo.

After starring at Chino Hills High School in California, Ball enrolled at UCLA but never appeared in a regular-season game after a shoplifting incident in China. The 19-year-old and two of his teammates were arrested in Hangzhou, China, for stealing sunglasses and other items from high-end stores. All three players were subsequently suspended by the team.

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Ball's father, LaVar, grew frustrated by the length of the suspension, pulled his son out of school and encouraged him to sign a professional contract overseas. LaVar Ball has previously said he wants all three of his sons to play for the Lakers.

LiAngelo Ball's draft prospects are immediately unclear, but he is unlikely to be a first-round pick. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard is expected to work out for "several NBA teams" upon returning from Lithuania, according to Yahoo! Sports, which first reported the news.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad. Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.

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