The whispers of the Charlotte Hornets building a future without LaMelo Ball might never go away. Even if Ball performs better than expected, it's still possible that some folks will continue speculating about the matter, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN recently hinted that trade talks might intensify, particularly at the trade deadline, if the Hornets star "plays really well early in the season."
The sportswriter appeared on Brian Windhorst's show, "The Hoop Collective," along with Tim Bontemps, and they discussed the projected win totals for each Eastern Conference team. Interestingly, the over/under for the Hornets is 24.5, which many fans might find too low. The media personalities just aren't bullish on how the roster has been constructed, particularly the lack of a dependable center rotation.
Naturally, Ball was brought up, with Bontemps wondering how the "LaMelo Ball situation" is going to turn out, more specifically, if the 2022 All-Star appears in around 45 games and Charlotte's win tally ends up under the 24.5 projection. That led to MacMahon implying that the Hornets could start looking to move on from their linchpin in February if his production skyrockets and his value presumably surges correspondingly.
LaMelo Ball's Hornets future will always be in limbo
Of course, everything MacMahon says about Ball should be taken with a grain of salt. He doesn't seem to be too big a fan of the 23-year-old phenom, even mistakenly calling him "LiAngelo Ball" during the show. He also opined that he does not see Melo as part of Charlotte's "long-term identity."
Fans look divided on whether Ball is the ideal foundation with which to build around a championship contender. The front office has said all the right things about him, although it might be difficult to shake off the fact that the current management "inherited" him and his contract extension from the previous regime.
Would lead executive Jeff Peterson place him on the trading block if his value is suddenly equivalent to multiple first-round picks, a young starting-caliber player, and some expiring contracts? It would be hard to bet against him resisting that urge, especially considering how easy it was for him to identify Mark Williams as a core piece and then swap him for future assets months later — twice.
On the other hand, it's understandable if Peterson and company are apprehensive about giving up on Ball when he seems to be the only guy on the roster who has the potential to blossom into a superstar. If he demonstrates that he is on track to become one during the early part of the 2025-26 campaign, the Hornets might want to hold onto him and continue letting him carry the keys of the franchise.