LaMelo Ball's tenure with the Charlotte Hornets has been somewhat of a rollercoaster. After not being selected for the 2025 All-Star team despite leading Eastern Conference guards in fan voting, Ball missed a significant portion of the season with injuries yet again.
That has been the story of Ball's career to this point - an enormous amount of talent that should be recognized, but injuries that leave him unavailable.
As the Hornets navigate a new era with Ball, Brandon Miller and a new head coach, rumors are starting to swirl of a possible trade of Ball to open up more opportunities for Miller.
With the 4th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, a plethora of guards could be available for Charlotte to take, such as Ace Bailey, V.J. Edgecombe, or Tre Johnson.
The Clippers have been active in trade talks already, after being linked to Kevin Durant before he was traded to the Houston Rockets.
The Clippers are a dark horse to watch in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, per @Gambo987
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 5, 2025
(h/t @esidery ) pic.twitter.com/gmiN2JMsUu
ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania appeared on "The PatMcAfee Show" to discuss LaMelo Ball's future in Charlotte.
"I'm sure they're open to a lot. I haven't heard anything definitive on LaMelo Ball or any team or those conversations as of yet," Charania said.
"If a team calls the Hornets and makes a massive offer - makes a real push for LaMelo Ball, I mean if you're the Hornets you have to be all ears at that point," he continued.
.@ShamsCharania tells @PatMcAfeeShow he has heard no LaMelo Ball trade rumors, but the Hornets should be open to anything
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 23, 2025
"If a team calls the Hornets and makes a massive offer ... I mean if you're the Hornets you have to be all ears at that point." pic.twitter.com/FJ6it3URVk
The Clippers have signaled that they want to retain James Harden on a contract that matches that of his co-star Kawhi Leonard.
While Ball would be a massive get for the Clippers, it would signal a reset and possibly a few years of mediocrity due to the trade package needed to go to Charlotte.
Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) says a deal where Kevin Durant goes to the LA Clippers would likely break down over the inclusion of Ivica Zubac, but he believes the Clippers are “going to do something this Summer that catches people off guard”: pic.twitter.com/B3dVTwzjGU
— APHoops (@APH00PS) June 10, 2025
Ball averaged 25.2 points and 7.4 assists per game on 40.5% shooting and 33.9% from beyond the arc in the 2024-2025 offseason.
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