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Knicks spoke to possible No. 1 pick LaMelo Ball prior to NBA Draft Lottery

Lamelo Ball is seen on court after the round 15 NBL match between the Illawarra Hawks and the Perth Wildcats at the WIN Entertainment Centre on January 10, 2020 in Wollongong, Australia. Credit: Getty Images/Mark Kolbe

In any NBA Draft it might difficult to assess a player like LaMelo Ball, who departed in the midst of his high school career to play for pay in Lithuania, a Los Angeles minor league team his father, LaVar, created, and finally to Australia.

But add in the odd circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving him unable to visit with teams, to interview in person or work out individually with any team.