LaMelo Ball announced he is joining the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League during an appearance on ESPN's The Jump on Monday.
Ball is likely to forego college after Monday's announcement, playing in Australia as he prepares for the 2020 NBA draft. He signed a two-year contract with the Hawks but is able to terminate the deal early to play in the NBA.
"My agents did a ton of research on the options I had to play this coming season, and Australia really made sense for me," Ball told ESPN. "They have a really strong league, with excellent coaches and great players, including former and future NBA players, and great strength and conditioning programs.