LaMelo Ball has five NBA seasons under his belt, and only one of them produced a winning record. Even more worrisome for the Hornets, their win rate is trapped in a three-year spiral that has taken it to a dismal .232.

Flagg might be the best U.S.-born prospect since LeBron James, garnering comparisons to Scottie Pippen, Jayson Tatum, and Grant Hill in terms of his length and all-around playing ability. So with stakes like this on the line it’s only natural to assume that the entire lottery process is going to be rigged in order to ensure only a team the NBA wants to have Flagg will actually get him.