Jan 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) defends Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

Here’s how the Hornets could reunite Lonzo and LaMelo Ball in Charlotte

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 4:47 PM ET

Since they have both been in the league, there have been various mock trades putting the Ball brothers together. Lonzo Ball, now with the Chicago Bulls, and LaMelo Ball, always with the Charlotte Hornets, have not played together since high school.

The possibility of them joining forces has never been higher, though. A directionless Chicago Bulls team could easily tear it down, and Ball's inexpensive, easily digestible contract makes him an easy player to envision moving.

The Hornets make a lot of sense for Ball. Not only would it endlessly please their own superstar and provide another layer of intrigue for the wider NBA audience, but the Bulls star fills a glaring need for defense and facilitating.

Lonzo could easily run the point with LaMelo playing off-ball. Perhaps no one would know how and when to get LaMelo the ball better than his own brother, thus opening up a level of scoring he hasn't yet reached.

Lonzo's defense would be a welcome sight in a lineup for Charlotte that features four horrid defenders and Josh Green. His 108.0 defensive rating would've ranked fourth among all Hornets, but first among those who played at least 25 games.

How could Charlotte go about making this trade? It wouldn't be that difficult. Ball does have a trade restriction until August, which means a deal can't be done with 2025 draft picks. However, it wouldn't be terribly difficult.

The Hornets can send Josh Green and Nick Smith Jr. with two second-round picks (2026 via the Warriors and 2029 via the Suns) for Lonzo Ball and a 2028 second-round pick. The Hornets obviously get the player for the reasons above, but they also move on from Green and Smith Jr., two failed experiments in Charlotte.

Chicago gets Green, who could thrive in a new situation and is not expensive. Similarly to Ball, he shoots the ball well from three and defends. They also get Smith Jr., a young, very cheap guard who could benefit from a change of scenery as well and could be a building block for a new core in Chicago.

They also get two second-round picks to play with. Ball is not likely worth a first-round pick, but a young player and two second-round picks (plus a salary match in Green, who is not a bad player) is a deal they'll probably take.

This would ultimately swap Charlotte's lone starting defensive player for another, albeit better one. That doesn't exactly fix the problem, but it does provide Charlotte with more roster space, less money, and a better player.