It looks like a split could be coming between LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets. After five-plus years with the franchise, Ball is open to a trade, and the feeling is mutual as the Hornets are open to moving him. However, finding a suitable trade for the star guard could be easier said than done for the Hornets.
Ball has all the talent in the world, and his upside is intriguing, but he has yet to show that he can play a winning brand of basketball. His career record in a Hornets jersey is just 100-140, and he’s yet to play in a single playoff game in his career. Sure, he’s posted some solid individual stats, but those stats haven’t translated to winning.
Obviously, all of Charlotte’s struggles can’t be pinned on Ball. After all, we’re talking about an organization that hasn’t won a single playoff series since 2002. At that time, Ball was a one-year old child growing up in California.
It would be a tall task for any one player to come in and turn the fortunes of the entire franchise around. However, some progress would be nice. The Hornets are really no closer to relevancy than they were when they first drafted Ball.
Concerns about availability, dedication
Across the league, there are some concerns about Ball’s level of dedication. One anonymous Western Conference scout recently called Ball out for not taking the game seriously enough.
"Yes, he's talented, but he doesn't take basketball seriously enough," the scout said, via ESPN. "It's hard to build a winner with him because of how he plays, and the liberties he takes for himself when he plays.”
That perception being out there isn’t going to make things easier for Charlotte when it comes to identifying a potential landing spot. Then there’s the availability issue.
Outside of appearing in 75 games during his second season in the league, Ball has never played in more than 51 games in a season for the Hornets. He’s appeared in less than 50 games in each of the last three seasons. And while injury issues may not be his fault, it’s tough for an interested organization to invest heavily in a player who they can’t depend on to be out on the floor consistently.
An enormous contract
Lastly, there’s the money. Ball’s contract is enormous, and the sheer sticker shock of it could potentially scare some organizations away. Ball is making nearly $38 million this season, and he still has three years and over $129 million remaining on the deal after the current campaign. The deal doesn’t include any player or team options.
Here’s a look at how his contract breaks down over the next three seasons:
2026-27: $40,770,520
2027-28: $43,582,280
2028-29: $46,394,040
That’s a whole lot of money for an oft-injured player facing questions about his commitment, which is why Charlotte is in a tough spot moving forward. They’ve run the Ball experiment for a half-decade now and it looks like it has run its course. But, in a potential trade the Hornets almost certainly wouldn’t get equal value back given Ball’s baggage, despite his intriguing talent, and they’re not going to want to trade the face of the franchise for pennies on the dollar.
"Would someone take a flier on him? For sure,” the Western Conference scout said of Ball. “But Charlotte isn't taking a flier price for him."
Despite the obvious concerns associated with Ball, the dude is still really good at basketball. He’s a former All-Star and Rookie of the Year who boasts career averages of 21.1 points, 7.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game. His talent is undeniably intriguing and could ultimately be enough to cause at least one team to overlook his red flags.
One league executive believes that Ball would still have a better trade market than some of the other big-name guards who have been mentioned as potential trade candidates.
"If you're asking me if Trae, Ja and LaMelo all came onto the trade market tomorrow, I think LaMelo would have the best market," the executive said, via ESPN.
If it were just about talent, finding a suitable trade for Ball would be easy for Charlotte. However when all the other aspects are factored in, things become much more complicated.