Lakers sign first-round picks Ball, Kuzma, Hart

The Los Angeles Lakers officially signed No. 2 overall draft pick Lonzo Ball to a four-year rookie contract on Monday.

The Lakers also signed forward Kyle Kuzma and guard Josh Hart, also first-round picks. In addition, ESPN reported that Los Angeles has interest in free agent guard George Hill.

Terms of Ball’s deal were not released, but the 19-year-old point guard is expected to receive $33.4 million, assuming the Lakers offered him the full 120 percent of the league’s slot value for the No. 2 pick.

Ball was picked by the Lakers’ new front office of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, the team president, and general manager Rob Pelinka.

Johnson called Ball the “new face of the Lakers” at the introductory press conference.

“You have to have a great leader and somebody that can make their teammates better and somebody that has incredible basketball IQ,” Johnson said of Ball. “The IQ is off the charts. He’s somebody that can get his teammates to follow.”

Ball averaged 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and an NCAA-best 7.6 assists per game in his lone season at UCLA.

A consensus first-team All-American, Pac-12 Co-Player of the Year and Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year, Ball finished the season first in the conference in assists, third in steals (1.8) and fifth in field-goal percentage (.551).

In 2016-17, Ball became the first player in the Pac-12 to average at least 14 points, six rebounds and seven assists per game since Jason Kidd in 1992-93.

The Lakers are interested in pairing Ball with Hill, according to ESPN. Hill was bothered by a toe injury last season but averaged a career-best 16.9 points in 49 games for the Utah Jazz.

Team officials also have spoken with guard Rajon Rondo about a one-year contract, ESPN reported. Rondo spent last season with the Chicago Bulls.

Kuzma, the 27th selection in this year’s draft, averaged 16.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists for Utah last season. The former All-Pac-12 First Team and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection appeared in 96 career games (64 starts) for the Utes, averaging 10.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

Hart was originally selected by the Jazz with this year’s No. 30 draft pick and traded to the Lakers. He averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists for Villanova in 2016-17. A consensus first team All-American and the reigning Big East Player of the Year, the 22-year-old finished the season ranked first in the Big East in points (18.7), fourth in field-goal percentage (.510) and fourth in rebounds (6.4).

All three players are on the Lakers’ Summer League roster and will begin play in Las Vegas later this week.