Report: Lakers believe Lonzo's camp leaked knee injury to prevent trade

A report emerged last week that Lonzo Ball had a torn meniscus in his left knee, but the Los Angeles Lakers know it didn't leak from their end.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers believe the injury was leaked from Ball's camp, perhaps in an effort to discourage a trade out of Los Angeles following the curious acquisition of Rajon Rondo in free agency.

The Lakers prioritized player development last season, but their timeline has been expedited by the addition of LeBron James. Their new expectation is to challenge for a title, and the Lakers may potentially deal Ball and other prospects for a second All-Star - such as Kawhi Leonard - to assist James.

However, Ball and his family are situated in nearby Chino Hills, and would presumably love for him to remain with the Lakers.

Ball battled an MCL sprain in his left knee and suffered other small injuries that limited him to just 52 games last season. The Lakers have since placed a priority on his training regiment this summer, but it's unclear if he'll be on the roster at the start of the 2018-19 season.

The 20-year-old lead guard averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.7 steals last season, although he only hit 36 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep.