After an explosive hot take from Tony Jones of the Athletic was published last week, much of the national media discourse around the Hornets has focused on his take; the Hornets should trade LaMelo Ball this offseason to build around Brandon Miller.
The article has sent Hornets nation into a bit of a tizzy with lots of back-and-forth rhetoric about whether or not the team should entertain this idea. It would be a massive risk and an extremely bold move for a team that hasn’t exactly been heralded for its superstar talent over the years.
It’s a very difficult and nuanced decision to make, and one that the front office absolutely cannot afford to get wrong. There has been no shortage of opinions and interjections on the matter.
There is a faction of the fanbase that agrees with the take. They think Ball may be overrated because of his stats and flashy play, but he may not actually contribute to winning and Miller is the better young player.
Plus he is constantly injured and is about to start year one of a five-year max contract that could quickly turn into a disaster. These fans think selling high on Ball would be the best course of action for the team.
There’s another faction of the fanbase that thinks the Hornets would be crazy to even consider trading one of the most talented young players in team history. One who plays a point guard role that could accentuate the strengths of Miller.
They opine that the Hornets should be building around both young stars, as it clearly takes more than one star to win in the NBA. Why would the team punt on a 22-year-old who has already appeared in an all-star game?
There are strong, passionate arguments for both sides that make a lot of sense. But nobody is talking about what a LaMelo trade might actually look like. Here are three potential trades that could work this offseason and could be appealing to each team involved.