The Charlotte Hornets are likely going to stick with LaMelo Ball until the end of the season at the earliest. Still, the likes of Bill Simmons can't help but fire up the trade machine and look for possible Ball deals. Interestingly, one of his ideas is a swap between the Hornets cornerstone and James Harden. And it makes little sense for Buzz City unless its goal is to simply shed Melo's salary.
Simmons believes adding the LA Clippers star to a roster that already has studs in Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and "some big guys" could take Charlotte to the next level. To be fair, Harden's gravity, shot creation, and availability could indeed benefit those players. Perhaps the former MVP could lead the Hornets to at least a play-in berth.
On the other hand, Simmons appears to think a change of scenery could be advantageous to Ball. The Ringer founder's sentiment is shared by many others, especially since Ball's talent and star power could flourish even more under the bright lights of a big-market team. Besides, the Clippers' headquarters is near his hometown of Chino Hills.
Trade idea runs contrary to what Hornets are building
Maybe Simmons should have left this trade experiment on the back burner. Charlotte should hang up the call immediately if it hears such a proposal. The only reason to even consider it is if the primary purpose in getting rid of Ball is salary cap relief.
Its former No. 3 pick is under contract until the summer of 2029. Meanwhile, Harden has a $42.3 million player option next season. It's unclear if he would exercise it, knowing that he probably would have a tough time seeking a deal of similar value in free agency.
Still, for the Hornets, the theoretical situation put forth by Simmons would not be as straightforward as he may have thought. The outcome for them would be either losing Ball for nothing if Harden leaves this coming summer, and then not having any use for the cap space since not a lot of players are lining up to play for them, or having the 36-year-old guard opt into the next campaign and continuing to be a mediocre squad.
The ideal pathway for Charlotte if it decides its time with Melo is through would be to net some draft capital in return in any trade. Using him to land a couple of years of just Harden (the Clippers have no control of their first-round picks until 2030) just feels so backward-looking.
Sure, the team might be able to fight for one of the lower seeds in the Eastern Conference with the help of the former MVP. But it runs contrary to Jeff Peterson's objective of building a sustainable contender in the Queen City.
The chances of Ball staying with the Hornets for at least several more months look pretty substantial, considering the trio of him, Knueppel, and Miller has shown incredible promise. However, fans who want him to continue wearing the purple and teal should brace themselves for more trade chatter, especially as the trade deadline nears.