LaMelo Ball has been one of the few bright spots for the Charlotte Hornets in recent seasons but ESPN’s Bobby Marks thinks there is a chance he gets moved this offseason. With the Hornets now under new ownership, Marks believes a big decision needs to be made this summer regarding Ball.
“When Ball signed a five-year, $204 million extension in 2023, the intention was that he would be the face of the franchise. But that new contract was under the previous ownership and management group.
“Now with a full year to evaluate, general manager Jeff Peterson will need to decide if Ball is a foundational player or someone they should explore moving for significant draft compensation and players. Ball has played like an All-Star but is on pace to appear in fewer than 50 games for a third straight season.”
We have already seen one team trade away the face of the franchise this year over some future injury concerns. That’s, of course, Luka Doncic, with the Dallas Mavericks trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks’ decision to trade Doncic made no sense whatsoever, though, but that would not be the case here.
As good as Ball is, with averages of 27.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2024-25, he isn’t a generational talent like Doncic. Also unlike the Slovenian, the one-time All-Star actually has a bit of an injury history.
Ball played just 36 games in 2022-23 and then only 22 in 2023-24. The 23-year-old has featured in 33 out of 51 games for the Hornets this season and expect him to miss some more time the rest of the way. He has played more than 60 games just once in his career and you wouldn’t fancy his chances of accomplishing that feat this time around either.
What’s also different here compared to the Doncic situation is that the Hornets are not even close to competing for a title. They are currently 13-38 on the season and are going nowhere.
In fact, the Hornets haven’t even made the playoffs since drafting Ball with the third pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. Will he lead them to the postseason at some point years down the road? Sure, but you’re unlikely to ever be a serious title contender with him as the main man.
So, the Hornets should not be against the idea of moving Ball, but they should only do so for a great return. We’re talking multiple first-round picks along with quality role players or a borderline star, who can then be flipped for more assets. That’s a sizeable haul, but he is a terrific young player and would be a great sidekick for a superstar.
A team like the Orlando Magic, for example, certainly could do with having an electric point guard like Ball on their roster. A trio of him, Paolo Banchero, and Franz Wagner will make some noise in the East and could make the Magic a contender depending on how they develop.
A Ball trade won’t be happening anytime soon, of course, as the deadline has passed. The man himself would be focusing on getting back on the court, as he has been ruled out for the Hornets’ clash with the Magic at Kia Center on Wednesday at 7 PM ET due to right ankle soreness.
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