Grade the Trade: Charlotte Hornets Flip LaMelo Ball for Jaylen Brown

Would this trade work for the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics?

LaMelo Ball has been viewed as the Charlotte Hornets’ franchise player since joining the team via the 2020 NBA Draft. With an on-court swagger, limitless potential, and an eye for the incredible, LaMelo is certainly the type of player to put a franchise on the map. So, the real question is: do the Hornets’ have the patience to see their rebuild through? Or will the draw of a ready-made talent be too much for them to pass up?

If the answer is the latter, it’s likely that Kupchak would play ball in this trade scenario – especially as it removes some of the other roster questions, such as what to do with Gordon Hayward and whether Terry Rozier should remain on the team moving forward.

From the Celtics’ perspective, this all comes down to whether or not they want to pay Jaylen Brown the supermax, which projects to be in the region of $295 million over five years. If Brad Stevens would rather avoid the penalties that come with the new second tax apron, and he believes Brown is going to want out in a year or two anyway, there won’t be many offers on the table better than one that lands you LaMelo Ball.

As such, this deal comes down to circumstances and patience, which makes the entire discussion rather circumstantial. With that in mind, the deal is unlikely to happen and will remain as just another rumor making its way through the media cycle.

Trade Grade: A

Likelihood Grade: D+