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Mar 1, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) celebrates during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Buy or sell: LaMelo Ball trade rumors, Hornets keep Mark Williams, and more

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 8:59 AM ET

There are a lot of storylines surrounding the Charlotte Hornets this offseason. LaMelo Ball trade rumors swirl, talk of keeping Mark Williams abounds, and so much more. The upcoming draft will do a lot to dispel some of these, but in the meantime, here's whether or not you can buy or sell the news.

LaMelo Ball trade rumors

The NBA media circulates LaMelo Ball trade rumors like they're paid by how many teams they can predict the Hornets star could go to. There's no rhyme or reason for it other than he's a good player on a bad team. But unlike many current NBA stars, he has specifically said he doesn't want to be traded at all.

He wants to stay, and the Hornets have reportedly not made him available in any trade talks. You can sell this one easily. Things can change, but it would be a major shift for both him and the team.

The Hornets are keeping Mark Williams

The Hornets were able to reel in an absolute haul for Mark Williams at the trade deadline before the Los Angeles Lakers decided not to, claiming his physical was worrisome a few days after the fact. Buyer's remorse is probably what it was, but it really tanked Williams' value. They wouldn't get anything near what LA offered, and that's if any team will take the risk on a player whose reputation is absolutely tarnished now.

Do the Hornets think Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate are a good enough center rotation to move on for a depleted return? Probably not, at least not now. If they draft a center, this might change, but you can buy this story.

No significant trades this offseason

I would personally like to see Charlotte move on from Miles Bridges and Josh Green, but both happening is unlikely. Do we consider trading Josh Green a significant trade? Not really, and it's not as likely to happen anyway because there's no market right now. Bridges won't get moved over the offseason either, and Charlotte is highly unlikely to make a big splash adding talent. Buy all the stock in this one.

Khaman Maluach as an option in the draft

Where there's smoke, there's often fire. Khaman Maluach has been linked to the Hornets in the draft, as he's the most promising center and has defensive skills that Mark Williams seems to no longer possess. Ironically, Williams has been a pro comparison for Maluach, but the Duke center has defensive ability that the Hornets might like.

However, picking him at fourth overall would be a stretch. They're probably going to take Ace Bailey (with VJ Edgecombe likely to come off the board at three), Kon Knueppel, or Tre Johnson, all of whom make more sense than Maluach to the current roster with three centers. As long as those guys are available, and they will be, Maluach isn't an option. Sell this one.

An NBA prospect doesn't want to play with LaMelo Ball

A report circulated that a source (previously a reliable source that was edited to remove that adjective) said that an anonymous draft prospect doesn't want to play with LaMelo Ball. Off the bat, that's fishy at best, and it doesn't make any sense.

If you're a draft prospect in play for the fourth overall pick, there's no logic behind saying you'd rather not go there, especially not doing it anonymously, because then the team might not know who you are and force you to play with Ball anyway. Plus, if a player falls to four, he's not going to want to continue falling, and for as bad as Charlotte is, they're not quite Utah Jazz or Washington Wizards level. This is an easy sell.