What does the future hold for Lonzo Ball?

As they fight to avoid a third consecutive losing season, a bright spot for the New Orleans Pelicans has been Zion Williamson's sudden and successful transformation into a bruising point forward.

This pivot has been made possible in part because of the adaptability of point guard Lonzo Ball, who has comfortably transitioned to an off-ball role and is having a career-best season. Ball has shown an ability to function as a spot-up shooter while also working with Williamson in the two-man game.

Fostering a partnership between Williamson and Ball, who are 20 and 23, respectively, is an intriguing proposition alongside one-time All-Star Brandon Ingram, also 23. But this group might not get the chance to develop into New Orleans' version of a big three.

"I'm just comfortable here," Ball said on March 31. "I also love playing with [Williamson] and [Ingram]. We have a lot of young guys. I think we can be good in the time coming."

But Ball's future in New Orleans past this season is in doubt.

Ball was involved in trade discussions with several teams before last month's trade deadline, with the LA Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks among the teams showing interest, sources said. Some executives came away from those talks with the belief that Ball might be available in a sign-and-trade in the offseason as a restricted free agent.

The Pelicans have expressed interest in keeping Ball. When extension talks broke down before the season, the front office pointed toward Ingram, who also didn't reach an extension with the Pelicans going into the final year of his rookie contract. He subsequently had a breakout season that led to a Most Improved Player Award and then a maximum contract. The idea was that if Ball likewise had a strong season, the organization would follow suit.

Ball has indeed played well, averaging 14.5 points and 38.4% from 3 on 8.1 attempts per game, all career highs. After two seasons working with Pelicans shooting coach Fred Vinson, Ball has boosted his free throw percentage from 41.7% in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018-19 to 79.2% this year, though his free throw rate remains low.

"I think what Lonzo's done over the last two years to improve his shooting is one of the best stories in the league," Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Now, he's just a great shooter. Now he's going to the line and making free throws. All the credit in the world to him."

While playing alongside Williamson has helped, Ball has been a much better all-around offensive threat for the Pelicans this season.

On catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, Ball has seen steady improvement throughout his career, going from 31.4% to 33.1% to 39.7% to 41.7% this season. Even when contested, Ball's catch-and-shoot rate remains at 41.7%. Stephen Curry, for example, is at 43.6% on those same types of shots.

Teams in need of a point guard are preparing for Ball in free agency even with the Pelicans owning matching rights. New Orleans has only $91 million on its books for next season, giving the team cap space and plenty of room under the tax line.

But Josh Hart, who has also been proficient playing alongside Williamson, will also be a restricted free agent -- and likely will be a more cost-efficient option than Ball. Attempts to move Eric Bledsoe, who is owed $18 million next year, haven't been successful.

"Unless they can trade Bledsoe, they will probably be hard-pressed to re-sign both Lonzo and Hart," a rival league executive said. "They don't pay the [luxury] tax."

That isn't a generalization. The Pelicans are one of only two franchises -- the Charlotte Hornets are the other -- that have never paid the luxury tax. With Ingram's salary, an extension starting for Steven Adams and planning for Williamson's next contract down the line, the Pelicans' history suggests they will be judicious with their spending in both the short and medium term.

Ball is represented by agent Rich Paul, who engineered former Pelicans star Anthony Davis' exit from New Orleans in 2019. One of the reasons Davis asked to be dealt was because he was skeptical the Pelicans would spend into the tax like richer, more spendthrift franchises.

Recently, free agent-to-be Dennis Schroder turned down a four-year offer worth up to $84 million from the Lakers, sources said. New Orleans traded Jrue Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks last offseason in part because there was concern his next contract would be too costly for the Pelicans to afford. Holiday signed an extension with the Bucks in early April that guarantees him an average of $33 million per year.

The moves portend a fertile market for free-agent point guards this summer with teams such as the New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Bulls and Clippers possibly looking for upgrades. That might lead Ball, who has impressed teams with his steady improvement and his team-first attitude, to draw offers that stress the Pelicans' cap sheet.

As the Pelicans scrap to get into the postseason, Ball's performance over the next month could influence the guard landscape for next season and beyond.

But for now, he's focusing on playing some of the most consequential games of his career while in a Pelicans uniform.

"I'm where I'm supposed to be at," Ball said. "I think about the summer when the summer comes."