LaMelo Ball is one of the names to watch during the trade season. However, it seems the only people who believe the Charlotte Hornets would ship him are those from outside the organization. For various reasons, it looks likely that the partnership would continue until the 2026 offseason at the earliest.
First of all, there have been no follow-up rumors to the report earlier this season that Ball is supposedly frustrated and would welcome a trade. In fact, the star adamantly refuted the notion, and the word on the street right now is that he is thrilled to be in Charlotte despite all the losing.
Furthermore, the Hornets are reportedly intent on determining whether a core group of Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel is capable of turning the franchise around. The good news is that the trio has looked promising, as the team is 4-4 whenever they play together. The bad news is that among the three, only Knueppel has been healthy this year, and the injury concerns surrounding his two teammates are growing.
Hornets' reasons for keeping LaMelo Ball
Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon brought up Charlotte's situation on a recent episode of the "Game Theory" podcast, appearing to agree that trading Ball is easier said than done.
As Simon mentioned, the 2022 All-Star helps the Hornets bring in money. That is certainly a fair point because a small-market team that typically does not fare well in the standings may find it relatively tougher to generate revenue. After all, the NBA is still a business-driven league.
Fortunately for Buzz City, it has a dedicated fan base, a key part of which has willingly endured losing seasons in hopes of one day seeing the squad contend. Still, having a marketable franchise cornerstone like Ball will help its bottom line. Knueppel may already be regarded more highly by some among the Hornets faithful, but the point guard remains the significantly more popular figure around the league.
Vecenie concurred with Simon. The draft guru added that based on the things he has heard around the organization, he got the impression that Ball "very much likes the city" and is "very, very happy" in his current home.
In the history of the franchise, how many former stars besides Kemba Walker have decided to stick with it through thick and thin?
Here we have Ball, who apparently wants to stay with the Hornets. So, they should at least consider honoring his wish, if it is indeed true. Otherwise, they risk developing a negative reputation among players within and outside the club, which could, in turn, impact their chances of landing high-level free agents in the future.
With all that said, it looks like the Hornets' best course of action regarding Ball is to keep him beyond the trade deadline and ride with him through the rest of the campaign.
Some fans might not be delighted with such an outcome, especially if he cannot overcome his health and inefficiency issues. On the other hand, the cons of retaining Ball wouldn't be much weightier than the pros when Charlotte is unlikely to net an out-of-this-world package for the former No. 3 pick if it decides to trade him this season.