Charlotte Hornets: Could LiAngelo Ball actually make the 15-man roster?

With the future of the Charlotte Hornets in the hands of Rookie of the Year point guard LaMelo Ball, it’s another Ball brother that’s been making the headlines during the NBA Summer League.

LiAngelo Ball, the middle son of the three Ball brothers, is fighting for another chance to earn an NBA contract this offseason by playing for Charlotte’s Summer League squad.

Through the first four games of play, Ball’s play has sparked a debate that this might be the best chance yet for the 22-year-old to make an NBA roster.

With his oldest brother Lonzo Ball just signing a big deal with the Chicago Bulls, and LaMelo Ball looking like a future star, LiAngelo Ball has tended to be the forgotten brother ever since the trio’s father, LaVar Ball began putting them in the national spotlight back in 2016.

However, there have been a few chances for Ball to make the league since he left UCLA before his freshman year following a theft scandal in China.

More from Hornets News

• Hornets: Where does Brandon Miller’s ceiling rank among other rookies?
• Charlotte Hornets grade out mostly average in position-by-position ranking
• Hornets News: P.J. Washington makes bold statement on Brandon Miller
• Grade the mock trade: Hornets snag Tyler Herro, flip Gordon Hayward
• 3 Areas that the Charlotte Hornets should see improvement in for 2023-24

Ball went undrafted in 2018; he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G-League team in 2020, but only played in one game due to the pandemic canceling the season.

When the NBA resumed in December, Ball signed a training camp deal with the Detroit Pistons but was waived before the regular season and didn’t receive another NBA chance until this summer.

In four summer league games, Ball has been a pleasant surprise off the bench for the Hornets, averaging 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 16.3 minutes per game. He’s had a +2 rating while on the floor.

While Ball hasn’t started any games, he’s easily been the most thrilling player for fans to watch in Las Vegas and is shooting a solid 41.7 percent from behind the three-point line.

The highlights have continued to rack up for Ball, including a four-point play, an off-the-ball three-pointer to extend a Charlotte lead, and most notably, a buzzer-beater shot before halftime against the San Antonio Spurs.

https://twitter.com/nbabet/status/1425912067672924167

But could Ball reasonably make the Hornets 15-man roster?

Each NBA team can have up to 15 players in addition to 2 two-way players. Charlotte recently signed Arnoldas Kulboka and Scottie Lewis to two-way deals.

Once you factor in LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, James Bouknight, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ish Smith, Miles Plumlee, Vernon Carey, Kai Jones, JT Thor filling up 12 of the 15 remaining spots, that leaves Ball competing with Cody Martin, Jalen McDaniels, Nick Richards, DJ Carton, and Wes Iwundu for one of the final three roster spots.

If Ball were to make a roster, it seems like being a 3-and-defense type player would be his best opportunity but he’d have to prove that he could be a consistent defensive player in the league.

It’s hard to see the Hornets giving up on McDaniels and Richards so soon, and Iwundu already has NBA experience, meaning it could come down to LiAngelo versus Martin, Riller, and Carton. Martin undoubtedly brings more defensive upside and has chemistry with the team.

If the Hornets don’t feel Ball is ready to make their roster just yet, they can offer him a spot on the Greensboro Swarm team, however, his play has made it seem likely that at least one of the other 29 NBA teams will offer him a roster spot somewhere.

There are still a number of decisions left to be made for general manager Mitch Kupchak and Ball hasn’t made them any easier this summer.