The Charlotte Hornets might have to be wary of what's happening with the Atlanta Hawks and Trae Young because something similar could unfold between them and LaMelo Ball if things fall apart in the coming years.
Atlanta could be facing a potential disaster because Young is apparently "disappointed" that the team has not yet offered him a maximum contract extension offer, as reported by Marc Spears when he appeared on ESPN's "NBA Today" a couple of days ago. In contrast, several players have recently agreed to extensions with their respective squads, including Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, and De'Aaron Fox.
If that's indeed the case, the Hawks are probably not rushing into committing to a long-term partnership with Young. Even though he is eligible for a contract extension, the deadline for Atlanta and its star to reach a deal is June 30, 2026. It's worth noting that he has a player option for the 2026-27 campaign.
The four-time All-Star leaving the Hawks seems like a ludicrous scenario, especially since they carried out several moves that were designed around his strengths and shortcomings. However, after following up its Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021 with two first-round exits and two seasons of not reaching the playoffs, Atlanta might be hesitating to present Young a four-year, $228.6 million deal, the biggest offer it could provide him with.
Hornets might encounter a Trae Young situation with LaMelo Ball
Perhaps some Hornets fans are wondering if Ball will follow the path of Trae Young if he and the front office don't see eye to eye on a contract extension in the future.
The 2021 Rookie of the Year is only into the second year of the max deal he signed in 2023. However, according to Spotrac, he is eligible for an extension as early as 2026. While it's unlikely that either party would want to enter negotiations next summer, talks might start heating up the following year.
Charlotte would likely be amenable to giving Ball the maximum contract as long as he is able to show the ability to play winning basketball, a quality that some critics are skeptical that he possesses.
There's also the possibility that the Hornets fail to rise from the bottom of the league standings. Hopefully, that won't turn out to be the case, but the risk of key guys getting injured, not developing into the players they are envisioned to be, or struggling to coexist with one another might be hard to avoid.
So, the likelihood that Ball remains in Charlotte beyond 2029 with another maximum deal is not an absolute certainty yet. However, Hornets fans are probably wishing that the inevitable extension talks wouldn't play out similarly to the Hawks-Young drama.