5:10 pm: For what it’s worth, Ball responded to Iko’s report (via Twitter) with a clown face emoji.
4:39 pm: After losing to Indiana on Wednesday, a defeat in which he was benched for the final 4:32 of the fourth quarter, LaMelo Ball has become “increasingly frustrated” with the Hornets and is open to being traded to a new team, multiple league sources tell Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports.
The Pacers entered Wednesday’s game with a 1-13 record and picked up their second victory of the season over the Hornets, who have dropped four straight and are now 4-11. Ball finished the game with 18 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes, but shot just 5-of-21 from the floor and committed six turnovers.
The third overall pick in the 2020 draft, Ball won the Rookie of the Year award in 2021 and was named to his first and only All-Star team in 2022. The 6’7″ point guard’s career has been derailed by a series of ankle injuries over the past few years. He played just 105 out of a possible 246 regular season games in the three seasons leading up to 2025/26.
Ball has gotten off to a rocky start this season, having missed six games due to a right ankle impingement and struggling with offensive efficiency. Still, Iko points out that Charlotte has been much better when Ball is playing and has struggled mightily when he’s not on the court.
According to Iko, one point of contention for Ball is his desire to play in a more uptempo offense — the Hornets currently rank 20th in the NBA in pace.
It sounds like the frustration goes both ways. Charlotte’s front office has grown “disillusioned” with Ball, no longer views him as a long-term cornerstone and is open to a trade as well, Iko reports.
[UPDATE: Fischer: Hornets ‘Not Actively Looking To Move’ LaMelo Ball]
As Iko writes, while Ball is still young and undeniably talented, it’s unclear how much interest he would generate if he’s made available, given his lengthy injury history, lucrative long-term contract, and “whispers” about the way he behaves on the court. Ball is on a maximum-salary deal which will pay him approximately $168.7MM over the next four years.
Someone’s jealous he’s getting outplayed by his rookie teammate?
Nah, it’s more the 4-11 thing
Surprised it took this long. Not sure what his trade value is with his talent & injury history
Seems like a similar situation to Anthony Davis: both injury prone, both high ceiling, both not a good fit for their current team.
No defense…… you need a good rim protector. If you invest in Ball.
Is he open to playing more than 1/3rd of the games a season?
Send him to Sacramento for Sabonis and others.
Sacramento would do something like that. It would definitely bring some excitement to Sac, but probably not an improvement in the win department.
Sabonis for ball straight up makes a lot of sense
Such a Sacramento move. Watch they include a pick that becomes more valuable then Lamelo and Sabonis combined
Do you think when he’s 65 with saggy skin and has some fat to spare he’ll regret making his body look like the underside of a a LA overpass?
You know a lot of 65 year olds who care how they look?
I do (care how I look)
Not as long as he still has some millions to spare along with the fat
Why are you thinking about another man’s skin 40 years from now?
Sylvester Stallone started getting tattooed when he was 62 and was pretty damn jacked when he posted photos of them. Why does any of this matter?
Highly overrated player. Good luck to team trading for him.
I still believe Anthony Davis is available… Dallas would be wise to flip him for Ball.
With that contract? For what possible benefit?
I could see the Kings being the type of franchise to make a move.
Could see a 3 way trade with ball in Dallas and Davis elsewhere.
He’s clearly damaged goods. That ankle isn’t going to get more structurally sound, he’s had every treatment under the sun. It’s kind of sad. He’s a terrific player.
He’s a showboat player. Doesn’t care about winning, only the highlight reel. Could have been a terrific player, instead he is what he is.
Are the Hornets equally frustrated and open to trading him?
Who says No
Cha gets- AD Exum
Dal- Gets Lamello Connaughton + 3 1st rders below
Gets its own 2027 pick back (so they’d have both their next 2 drafts back full)
Gets Mia’s 27 pick (protected 1-14 unprotected in 28 )
Gets the 2029 1st from Cle Utah or Minny least favorable (most likely in 20’s)
And 2 2031 2nd rders that Cha currently has 4 of
*Dallas trades Kyrie in summer
*Cha has all its own 1 st rd picks after the trade still in tow
1 1st rounder but you are over pricing AD with all his injuries.
Possibly Arc but important to note that 2029 pick probably isn’t all that special or hold a ton of weight
They also don’t have to touch their own picks which is a big perk Imo
I don’t think they are that far off in value. Ball would fit Dallas better. AD fits hornets better.
I kind of like it for Dallas, but don’t like it at the same time.
Dallas can do better in terms of salary relief, but their own 2027 pick is tasty.
San Antonio picked 2nd two years after drafting Wemby, why can’t Dallas do the same 2 years after drafting Flagg?
So the hornets trade one of the best young point guards in the league for a old just as often injured big even tho they’ve been rebuilding for years. On top of that they give up a bunch of firsts. Makes absolutely zero sense for the hornets.
For real, why in the world would the hornets do that?
You really think LaMelo is one of the best young Pgs ?
I view him as a neutral contract when the skies are sunny at best currently – He’s fun to watch but he’s never held 10% of the gravitational pull that AD has
I agree AD is a risk but LaMelo feels like spinning the wheels in mud –
Charlotte
I prefer the Hornets get a new coach first than trade Lamelo. A coach like Tom Thibodeau or Coach Malone.
Ja Morant
Zion Williamson
Lamelo Ball
Jonathan Kuminga
You guys thinking what I’m thinking?
That they form a 3 on 3 team and play in the Big3 league?
Exactly.
À franchise that is somehow worse than New Orleans
Let’s not go too far now
Surprised that Ball hasn’t asked for his daddy be named coach
Poverty franchise.
Dallas is not making that trade. Mello is not a winning player. He has O fundamentals. He is naturally gifted, but lacks the awareness to be a winning basketball player. They need to trade dlo and
I think neither team would but I think it’s close to par value if so
I’m with you on Lamelo critique and I really enjoy watching him in the early slate.
Don’t understand all the Ball slander, he’s easily one of the best young guards in the league.
By far one of the most skilled players in the league and his potential is just insane.
Sure he’s got his faults but who doesn’t.
AD is a terrible trade idea, he’s old and the hornets are a young team.
Trae Young would be a good swap.
Ja Morant I think would be much of the same just less skilled than Ball.
Washington should be interested Ball Coulibaly George and Sarr would be a really interesting core. They have expiring deal to match aswell.
Wounded if a package of DeJounte, Missi and a first or two could do it?
Melo Poole Murphy Zion Queen that would be stacked with talent but needing a lot of development and cohesion.
Murray Kon Miller would be cool and Miisi and Kalk make a good centre duo.
Again maybe TWolves?
Randle and Dillingham plus some picks.
Melo Ant McDaniels Gobert
And Charlotte Kon Miller Randle makes an interesting group that I think could work. Then Dillingham Kalk and others that’ll develop
What It’s not slander. It’s an evaluation and analysis of his game over the last 5 and 1/2 years. The same thing everybody on here keeps saying about kaminga when we have the same amount of time to assess his game. It’s not like these guys haven’t been playing 20 plus minutes for more than 5 years.
He is an entertaining and exciting player, but the style of basketball that he plays never translates to winning and won’t. He shoots off one foot and plays with no fundamentals. The kid is talented but is a one way player. Not really seeing a situation that makes sense. Maybe Brooklyn. Sacramento doesn’t make sense because it’s more of the same and the only thing I would trade for is keon Murray once I don’t think they’re going to do that. Charlie wouldn’t won. Zach LaVine. And sac shouldn’t be giving no picks away.
He has career averages of 21-6.5-7 which honestly feels low, seems like he putting up 27-7-8 most nights. His passing is top 10 in the league right now probably.
In terms of shooting ability it might not be fundament but again 36% from 3 on 8 attempts as his team’s best player often against the best oppositions best defender, you’d take that. It’s not hugely efficient but it’s good enough. He’s got the range and the finishing.
Ball handling again one of the better handlers in the game and does things others simply can’t.
Then as for his defence it’s not great but it’s also not awful. He’s 6’7 and at times gets good deflections and steals. None of the top point guards in today’s game have great defence so again you live with it.
What he does lack is basketball IQ, some maturity sometimes and becoming more of a team player and winner than highlight guy, but in part you also have to factor in that he’s played for one of the worst teams the last 5 years.
He’s probably not a number 1 guy but as a 2 or 3 he’d be insane and win a bunch of games he’s just never had that role. Imagine him playing off ANT with McDaniels and Gobert bringing a bunch of the defensive cover he’s never had.
He makes too much to be a 2 or 3 guy in this salary cap league. I don’t know if he’s able to fit that role if he is and his shot selection is better and he stops all the one-footed jumpshots he could be a 3a player.
Your go to for arguments are always states, as someone who played high level ball I’ve had crazy high numbers on bad teams. When playing for championship and playoffs you don’t get to shoot when you want. Players are more open when you’re getting blown out. More rebound opportunities as well.
So you throwing his stats up there when we have watched him play. Just watched him the other night he was like 3-18 something like that but ended with 18-9-2 box scores looks good they got blown out. The question is if he can play that role I don’t think he could there for i wouldn’t as a GM trade for him
Ball is a good player, he is just made of glass, like AD.
La Mello is putting up some nice stats. Unfortunately he is a OneWay player. Who hasn’t learned to play to win yet. And may never. I wouldn’t want him on my team. And whoever gets him. You have to have a rim protector to watch his back. He is only 24 so could still wake up one day ?????
This year 21.6 pts, 7 reb, 9.6 ast .. He is owed with this year. 4 yrs 167 mill. Sacramento is close to home. That could motivate him to win. Give up Zach I do it.
Zach, Future #1 pick ….
—— FOR ——
Ball, Mann, McNeeley ……
Hornets hve no incentive to improve. Can’t blame Melo.
I don’t think too much slander. People are just stating the facts.. he doesn’t play D, has a hard time with team ball, and is always injured. He’s young I think team ball and maybe defense will come around if he truly wants to win. Dude has crazy talent. I do agree the AD idea is dumb. Who is Washington trading to make it inviting for the hornets? I don’t think N.O. is even wanting to often injured 2 young stars (Ball and Zion). I don’t think Ball and Ant can co-exist on the same team
“Doesn’t play defense” he’s a PG, he’s not great but that’s not anything he has to be super concerned about. Likely because he is injured all the time and defense requires the most movement. His offense is amazing and he was simply unreal in his first year when he made the all-star game. Been injured after that year every year since.
Charlotte stinks a lot because of how bad Sion James, Tre Man and Collin Sexton have been.
LeMelo to the Mavs, AD to the Grizzlies, Ja to the Pelicans and Zion to the Hornets.
This is the trade I want to see. We need a blockbuster 4 team deadline deal
No contender is trading for him in a million years. Is he keen to play (read: watch from the sidelines) for a different bad team? That said, I don’t really understand why the hornets want to play slow. They’re a small-market team with no real prospect of being relevant, so bums on seats is the goal. Why not make it a track meet and at least give the fans something to see?
Ball is the reason they are awful.
Too bad Hornets would have to send picks with Ball just to get any takers.