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Lonzo Ball Shares Strong Opinion On LaMelo Ball’s Future

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated May 16, 2025 6:24 PM ET

On a Friday episode of the "What An Experience with Lonzo Ball" podcast, Lonzo Ball surprised listeners by speculating on both the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft and his younger brother’s fate.

"I lowkey got Dylan Harper going to the Hornets, and I got Melo going to the Clips," he said, suggesting a scenario where Charlotte uses its lottery position on the Rutgers standout while shipping LaMelo Ball to Los Angeles.

This remark comes amid broader draft talk that has Hornets fans eyeing the league’s 2025 prospects and Charlotte’s three picks (Nos. 4, 33, and 34).

Currently, many experts project the Hornets to select one of Harper, Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe with the No. 4 pick.

Lonzo Ball says he envisions the Hornets drafting Dylan Harper and LaMelo Ball getting traded to the Clippers

( @TheWAEShow / h/t @HornetsReddit )

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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 16, 2025

The Hornets endured another difficult campaign in the 2024-25 NBA season, finishing with a 19-63 record and ranking 14th in the Eastern Conference.

The team struggled to find consistency, posting the league’s worst offense at 105.1 points per game and missing the playoffs for the ninth straight year.

At the center of Charlotte’s rebuild is 23-year-old point guard Ball, whose resume already includes NBA Rookie of the Year honors (2021), an All-Rookie Team selection (2021), and an All-Star nod in 2022.

Since being taken third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, Ball has averaged 21 points, 7.4 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game through his first five seasons, including a career-high 25.2 points per game in 2024-25.

While rumors continue to swirl about a potential trade, executing a deal for Ball would be challenging.

In July 2023, Charlotte locked him into a five-year, $203.85 million extension, carrying a cap hit rising from $35.15 million in 2024-25 to a maximum of $46.39 million by 2028-29.

Such a deal gives the Hornets full Bird Rights, meaning any trade would demand significant salary matching or absorbing additional contracts.

While the Clippers boast title aspirations, parting with rotation players and picks to absorb Ball’s max deal could hamper their flexibility around stars like Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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