The last time that the Charlotte Hornets played a postseason game was in May 2016. Steve Clifford was in his first tenure as Charlotte’s head coach, LeBron James had not yet brought a title to Cleveland, and Kevin Durant had not yet decided that his next chapter would take place with the Golden State Warriors. Nearly nine years later, the Hornets seem further away from returning to the postseason than ever, struggling to a 14-45 record, failing to even compete for a Play-In berth.
This puts the Charlotte Hornets in a position they should be accustomed to at this point… scrambling to figure out what’s next. Given how unsuccessful this last half of a decade has been, it would wise for this franchise, which has never been further than the 2nd round of the Playoffs, to consider all options. That includes gauging the trade value of lead guard LaMelo Ball.
“The availability of Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is one of the stars several executives who spoke with HoopsHype will be monitoring on the trade market this summer,” writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “If Charlotte puts Ball on the trade market, the Hornets could kick start a complete tear-down rebuild by trading him and clearing his maximum salary off the books long-term while adding cheaper young talent and several future first-round draft picks.”
LaMelo Ball’s injury-plagued career has been limited to 221 games in which the Hornets have gone 95-126 with no postseason appearances. He’s proven to be wildly popular among kids who don’t sit down and watch full NBA games, but for every highlight reel play he’s made, he’s bricked at least one ill-advised three-pointer.
You can point to Ball’s 26 points and 7 assists per game and say he deserved to be an All-Star. But don’t ignore these numbers: the Hornets are 29th in offensive rating during the 2024-25 season, and have been bottom three in the league in that category in each of the last three seasons. LaMelo Ball has a resume that screams, “Good stats, bad team,” and as more time goes by, it seems as if that is going to be his basketball destiny. Not ideal for a guy picked 3rd in the NBA Draft.
Ball isn’t the only member of the Hornets that Scotto mentions as a possible offseason trade candidate. Miles Bridges has two years left on his existing deal, and his cap hit isn’t too much of an issue. Domestic violence charges put a damper — and a one season pause — on what at one time looked to be a tremendously promising NBA career.
Bridges has been a 20 point per game scorer each of his last three seasons, but on just 43 percent shooting during the 2024-25 season, how far are you getting if you’re relying on him too much?
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