No, the Charlotte Hornets aren’t trading LaMelo Ball. He’s the centerpiece of their franchise, an incredible basketball player when he’s on the floor, and still one of the best young players in the league.
But he can’t stay healthy, he’s dealt with some trouble away from the court, and the Hornets have yet to make the playoffs with him leading the way.
Ball will be 23 years old by the time next season starts, and it will mark his fifth in the NBA. In his four years up to this point, he has only played in more than 51 games once, and in each of the past two seasons, he has played 36 games or fewer.
Trading Ball would be an insane, out-of-nowhere move for the Hornets to consider, but if these five deals were presented to them, they would have to at least consider it.
1. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are in a very weird place. Led by Mikal Bridges, they are firmly stuck in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference, but a LaMelo Ball trade could help solve that problem.
Bringing in Ball to be the face of the franchise next to Bridges would give them a better direction, and since they don’t own their own first-round picks for the next few years, they have no real reason to tank.
Meanwhile, this deal would be intriguing for the Hornets for a few different reasons.
On the one hand, they would be getting some nice depth pieces to help them compete right away, but the Phoenix Suns pick would be the cherry on top.
Who knows how good the Suns will be in a few years? Adding a future Phoenix first would give Charlotte a selection that could end up being toward the start of the first round.
Cameron Johnson is an elite three-point shooter who would help the team’s depth, Dennis Schroder would provide them with a new point guard in the rotation, and Cam Thomas is a very interesting young scoring prospect.
Maybe the Nets would rather keep their picks, keep their cap space open for the 2025 summer, and let things play out, but this deal could help their future significantly, should Ball stay on the court.
The same can be said for the Hornets, but getting three first-rounders and a young prospect in Thomas would allow them to build around Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Thomas, and whoever else they snag in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In the end, the Hornets (and Nets) probably say no, but they would at least pick up the phone.
Potential starting lineups
Nets: LaMelo Ball, Lonnie Walker IV, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nicolas Claxton
Hornets: Dennis Schroder, Cam Thomas, Brandon Miller, Cameron Johnson, Mark Williams
2. Orlando Magic
Following an impressive season in which they made the playoffs for the first time since the Nikola Vucevic era, the Orlando Magic could be looking to improve their roster this summer.
They have some solid point guards on the roster, including rookie Anthony Black, but they could still use an upgrade at that position. LaMelo Ball could be that upgrade.
Ball’s health is a question mark, as it will be for any team that decides to trade for him, but the Magic could put together a fairly intriguing package to entice the Charlotte Hornets.
As noted, Black is coming off a solid rookie campaign, and he could take the reins in Charlotte. His size is comparable to Ball's, and he’s a better defender, but he’s not nearly at the same level.
Meanwhile, Jett Howard didn’t get a ton of consistent minutes on the Hornets during his rookie year, but his shooting touch is undeniable and would be a nice fit in Charlotte.
Jonathan Isaac would step in and immediately improve the Hornets’ terrible defense, as he’s one of the most impressive individual defenders in the league.
Add in the fact that the Hornets would be getting the 18th pick in this year’s draft and a protected future first, and this could be enough to make them raise their eyebrows.
In the end, Charlotte would probably decline this deal, too, as would the Magic. Both teams would probably rather continue on their current paths, but this framework is at least interesting.
Potential starting lineups
Magic: LaMelo Ball, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
Hornets: Anthony Black, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, Jonathan Isaac, Mark Williams
3. Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors tore down their roster this year, trading Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby to two teams that ended up squaring off in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Now, they’re left with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and a rag-tag group of players to build around moving forward. Landing LaMelo Ball would solidify their young core, and Cody Martin would be a nice rotation piece, if he can stay healthy.
For the Charlotte Hornets, a sign-and-trade for Immanuel Quickley would hard cap them for the entire season, so they should get all their other moves in order first.
That said, Quickley is a great young player, and his talent on the offensive end is matched with an impressive defensive playstyle on the other side of the ball.
Bruce Brown would be a nice depth piece for the time being, but Charlotte would be wise to flip him at the 2025 trade deadline, as contending teams could want him.
Ochai Agbaji’s 3-and-D play would boost the Hornets’ rotation, and adding another first in this year’s draft would be a nice touch.
Again, both teams would probably end up saying no to a deal like this, but it makes plenty of sense for both sides to be interested in the concept.
Potential starting lineups
Raptors: LaMelo Ball, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl
Hornets: Immanuel Quickley, Bruce Brown, Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, Mark Williams
4. San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama and LaMelo Ball. That’s the vision.
The San Antonio Spurs have a clear franchise centerpiece on their hands with Wembanyama, and now, they need to focus on putting the right pieces around him to help him succeed.
Heading into this summer, adding playmaking help should be one of their top priorities, and that’s where Ball would come in. His dynamic scoring and passing abilities would pair beautifully with Wembanyama on the offensive end.
The Charlotte Hornets would be getting some solid players, but the draft picks would be the star of the show in the deal. With the fourth pick, they could grab two top-10 prospects, as they already own the sixth pick.
Keldon Johnson is a nice forward, and Tre Jones could step in as the Hornets’ starting point guard unless they draft a guard (perhaps Reed Sheppard) with one of their top picks. Blake Wesley also showed some promise toward the end of this past season.
It seems as though the Spurs are going to take their time rather than pushing forward this summer, but if they wanted to trade for a star point guard, Ball wouldn’t be a bad option at all.
And for the Hornets, while their initial instinct would probably be to say no to this deal, adding a top-five pick would be nothing to scoff at.
Potential starting lineups
Spurs: LaMelo Ball, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama
Hornets: Tre Jones, Reed Sheppard(?), Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, Mark Williams
5. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets committed to competing for the playoffs last year, and while they ultimately fell short of their goal, expect them to continue to strive for improvement this summer.
Bringing in LaMelo Ball to solidify their young core would be a great place, and considering rumors have indicated their desire to trade the third pick in the draft, this deal wouldn’t be too unlikely for them.
In this trade, the Charlotte Hornets would be landing two solid young pieces in Amen Thompson and whoever they select with the third pick in the draft.
Thompson played well for the Rockets during his rookie season, so it seems likely that they look to keep him around, but landing Ball would make them a serious playoff threat in the Western Conference.
Jae’Sean Tate and Jock Landale would be included in the deal to match salaries, but the picks would be the real highlight of the trade for Charlotte.
Following this move, the Hornets would have two top-six picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, giving them an opportunity to change the look of their young core.
Giving up Thompson may prevent them from doing it, but this seems like the type of trade the Rockets would be interested in right now. And while the Hornets will absolutely be hesitant to trade Ball, his isn’t a terrible return for them, especially if Thompson continues to blossom.
Potential starting lineups
Rockets: LaMelo Ball, Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun
Hornets: Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard (?), Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, Mark Williams