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As the 2025 NBA Draft approaches (June 25–26), the Charlotte Hornets find themselves in familiar territory: another lottery trip, another year with no clear direction. Despite three straight seasons near the bottom of the standings, they’ve yet to land a top-three pick. This year, they sit at No. 4, hardly a guarantee of transformative talent. Meanwhile, teams like the Mavericks and Spurs have leapfrogged Charlotte in the lottery despite winning significantly more games.
At the center of it all is LaMelo Ball. electric, marketable, and now five years into a Hornets tenure that’s produced more frustration than success. He’s under contract through 2029, but the clock is ticking. LaMelo is entering his prime, and the Hornets have failed to build a stable, competitive roster around him. With little appeal in free agency and no cap space magic trick available, Charlotte faces a tough choice: commit to building around LaMelo now or explore trade options while his value remains high.
Enter the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers are coming off a deep playoff run but are entering a transitional phase. With Kawhi Leonard (33) and James Harden (35) aging, and a roster that ranked as one of the league’s oldest, the pressure to pivot is real. especially with the Lakers’ blockbuster trade for Luka Dončić dominating local headlines. A young star like LaMelo could offer L.A. both relevance and longevity.
The Ball family has made no secret of its desire to see LaMelo return to California. Even former Clipper Lou Williams acknowledged the buzz, stating, “I can see the Clippers making a play for a premier point guard. Ballmer’s always trying to win.” But pulling off a trade won’t be easy. LaMelo’s $203 million extension complicates the cap math, and the Clippers’ asset pool is thin after years of win-now moves.
A realistic deal would need to start with Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac, plus young talent like Bones Hyland and any remaining draft capital. That might not be enough unless a third team gets involved to facilitate more picks going to Charlotte.
So, what should the Hornets demand? First and foremost: draft capital—unprotected or lightly protected first-round picks. Young players with upside on rookie contracts. And ideally, expiring or team-friendly contracts that allow flexibility. A trade for LaMelo has to signal a new era in Charlotte, not just more treading water.
While trading a player of LaMelo’s caliber is always risky, the greater danger may be wasting his prime in a stalled rebuild. If the Hornets can’t make a leap through free agency or internal growth, then maximizing Ball’s value on the trade market could be their best move yet.
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