Charlotte Hornets sign LiAngelo Ball

The Charlotte Hornets made a notable roster move on Monday morning when they signed LiAngelo Ball to a one year contract.

Ball’s non-guaranteed deal now brings Charlotte’s offseason roster total to the maximum of 20 players.

Ball spent last season with the Greensboro Swarm, where he averaged 4.6 points and 1.1 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per night across 28 appearances. He also appeared in the NBA 2K23 Summer League with the Hornets in July, averaging 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per night across three games.

While Ball could theoretically earn himself a spot with the Hornets with a strong performance during training camp, the far more likely outcome is that he spends another season in Greensboro with the Swarm.

There are contractual gymnastics that teams must go through in order to retain the G-League rights of players, and this appears to be the case with Ball’s signing. This is not the first time the Charlotte Hornets have gone down this path with Ball; last season, Ball signed with the Charlotte Hornets on October 14th. He was then waived on October 15th and eventually joined the Swarm at the G-League level.

While the process will likely play out the same way this time, the timing of Ball’s signing is a bit curious. With the Hornets holding their media day today and with training camp opening this week, perhaps signing LiAngelo Ball is a way for the organization to throw a bone to fans who have grown disgruntled with a frustrating offseason that has seen a lack of roster moves.

What does the LiAngelo Ball signing mean for the Charlotte Hornets?

LiAngelo Ball is unlikely to see the floor for the Hornets this season. While he has shown an ability to shoot and could still improve his game, he is not an NBA caliber player at this point. This signing is primarily a move to appease franchise cornerstone and younger brother LaMelo Ball while also drawing some positive attention to the Greensboro Swarm.