Hornets Involved In LaMelo Ball Trade Talks

Charania adds that some teams are making “aggressive” offers, and there’s a real chance that Ball could be moved if anybody is willing to meet Charlotte’s asking price.

Marc Stein of The Stein Line identifies the Timberwolves and Raptors as two of the suitors with interest in acquiring Ball (Twitter link). The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer adds that Ball has been looking forward to the upcoming season in Charlotte after leading the team into the play-in tournament, but Fischer confirms that the trade rumors are real (Twitter link).

One option for the Wolves is to expand the three-team trade that is sending Julius Randle to Brooklyn, states Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link). They’ll need to do a 100% salary match in order to exceed the first apron, which Gozlan says can be accomplished by including injured guard Donte DiVincenzo. From there, it’s a matter of adding young players and draft assets to satisfy the Hornets.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms that Toronto and Minnesota are among the teams pursuing Ball (Twitter link), adding that the Raptors first expressed their interest in a trade last summer and recently renewed talks with Charlotte.

Gozlan states that Minnesota or Toronto will likely have to part with significant draft assets to complete a deal (Twitter link). He adds that otherwise the Hornets will consider expanding the trade to include at least one more team.

After dealing with injuries and inconsistency during his first five NBA seasons, Ball is coming off one of the best campaigns of his career. His scoring numbers declined as he deferred to teammates more often, but he proved that he can be a reliable on-court leader for a winning team.

That quality, combined with his spectacular offensive skills, keeps him in demand around the league, especially among teams that need point guard help. The Wolves are looking for a ball-handler to take some of the offensive load off Anthony Edwards, and the Raptors would like to upgrade at the position from Immanuel Quickley.

Ball has three seasons left on his current contract, so any team that trades for him will get a measure of security. He will make $40.8MM next season, $43.6MM in 2027/28 and $46.4MM in 2028/29.