In a chat on the WAE Show, veteran NBA point guard Lonzo Ball made a bold prediction on the 2025 offseason. According to Zo, the Charlotte Hornets will use their fourth pick to draft Rutgers guard Dylan Harper before trading his brother, LaMelo Ball, to the Los Angeles Clippers in a blockbuster deal.
“I lowkey got Dylan Harper going to the Hornets and I got Melo going to the Clips,” said Ball.
Lonzo was the first of the “Ball Brothers” to make the NBA. After a standout season at UCLA, ‘Zo was drafted by the Lakers with the second overall pick, and he slowly developed into the player he is today. Despite various team changes and major injury struggles, Lonzo has persevered to continue his career, and he has plans to lead the Chicago Bulls next season as their starting point guard.
As a native of the Los Angeles area and a former Laker, it’s no surprise that Lonzo wants to see his brother join the Clippers, and it’s something his dad, LaVar, has spoken about before. By all accounts, LaMelo would thrive with the Clippers and in a big market city like Los Angeles, which can expand his fan base and bring out the best in his game.
Lonzo has no say in the contract situation regarding his brother, but it seems he might know something about a potential team change for the young point guard. Since 2020, Melo has been the face of the Charlotte Hornets, and it earned him a max contract that will pay out roughly $166 million over the next four years.
With career averages of 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game, LaMelo has exceeded expectations on the Hornets, but he’s got practically nothing to show for this time there. In five years, Ball has yet to make a single playoff appearance, and the Hornets have yet to have a winning season.
If they want what’s best for the franchise, the Hornets may consider moving on from LaMelo altogether in favor of Dylan Harper, who is showing great potential as a future star point guard in the league. With Harper, the Hornets can reset their timeline, launch another rebuild, and replenish their asset pool with another fresh start.
Meanwhile, LaMelo would get the chance to start over with a new team. While the Clippers have not shown any public interest in Ball, he could be an interesting addition for them alongside Kawhi Leonard and a solid supporting cast.
After winning 50 games in the regular season, the Clippers proved that they are capable of winning a lot of games. Still, there’s something missing from their roster, and the addition of LaMelo would help in several areas of the court.
After their elimination in the first round this year, nobody knows what the Clippers’ plan is for the upcoming offseason, but they’ll likely need to do something big in order to give themselves the best chance to win. Adding a star point guard like LaMelo would certainly shake things up, and it might just be the best thing for Ball’s career.
