LaMelo Ball has responded to the recent bombshell report from Yahoo’s Kelly Iko, claiming that the Charlotte Hornets star is open to being traded due to his growing frustrations with the team.
“Following the Hornets’ disappointing road loss to the 2-13 Indiana Pacers — their fourth straight, dropping Charlotte to 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 4-11 record — star guard LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade away from the franchise, multiple league sources told Yahoo Sports,” wrote Iko in the report.
Ball replied with a clown emoji on X to the report claiming a growing rift between the Hornets star and the franchise’s front office.
— Melo (@MELOD1P) November 20, 2025
Iko not only reported that Ball was open to the idea of being traded, but he also suggested that the Hornets are no longer sure that the former All-Star is a true franchise player for them.
“League sources say the front office is increasingly hesitant about cementing Ball as a long-term foundational piece, has become disillusioned with the 24-year-old and is open to moving him,” Iko further added.
The Hornets have reportedly gained a bit of skepticism on Ball’s future with the franchise due to his ongoing injury issues, a huge contract, and concerns about his fit and style of play with a developing young core.
The last time Ball played over 50 games in the season for the Hornets was in his sophomore season, which was four years ago. Since then, Ball has consistently struggled to remain healthy, missing nearly 40% of each season for the team that has never reached the playoffs with him.
Especially considering the logjam of guards they have filled their roster with this summer, it seems as though the franchise is telling Ball that they are planning to replace him.
The rumors around the franchise’s growing frustrations are not new, as earlier this summer, as well, reports were claiming that the Hornets are headed in the same direction that Iko has mentioned right now.
Ball has been accused of not taking the sport seriously, and this response from him shows his intent to prove otherwise. He can publicly refute the situation as much as he wants, but many experts do not see his long-term future being with the Hornets.
The Hornets are currently 4-11 for the season, and Ball has only played in nine of the 15 games for the Hornets due to right ankle injury issues. He has averaged 21.6 points, 9.6 assists, and 6.9 rebounds in those nine games, while shooting 39.8% from the field and 29.8% from the three-point line.
That is a considerable downfall from his previous seasons’ production, and with Kon Knueppel stepping up as one of the favorites to be the Rookie of the Year, the Hornets may think now is the best time to capitalize on Ball’s trade value and rebuild around Knueppel and the other younger players.
