Mar 20, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) handles the ball against the New York Knicks during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Why LaMelo Ball will be traded before the NBA draft if Charlotte will ever pull the trigger

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 9:10 AM ET

As of right now, there's no reason to think the Charlotte Hornets are going to trade LaMelo Ball. He silenced the "trade Ball" crowd with his own admission that he doesn't understand why people say he should ask for a trade, and the Hornets have reportedly said he's not available this offseason.

However, rumors persist, and if Luka Doncic can be traded away on the back of a Finals run on a team with a championship window, then Ball is certainly not immovable. If the Hornets are going to swing a deal to move on from their franchise player, it will probably happen before June 25's NBA draft.

Why? Two words: Dylan Harper. The point guard prospect is the best PG in the draft and can also play shooting guard (which is a lot like Ball). He's also seemingly the clear best non-Cooper Flagg prospect in the class, so he's a good candidate to go second overall. He's not falling to Charlotte at four, but he'd be a brilliant succession plan to the Ball era at point guard.

That's why a trade now makes more sense than a trade later. The San Antonio Spurs may be willing to trade their pick, as they already have Victor Wembanyama, reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox. Plus, those two guards make it less likely that they'll add another guard second overall.

It also makes them unlikely to take on LaMelo Ball, but there could be a large, three-team blockbuster in which Charlotte gets the second overall pick, the Spurs get some added draft capital from Charlotte, and a third team gets Ball.

Would this scenario lead to Charlotte picking second and fourth? Unlikely, but not impossible. Ball is worth a lot despite his injury history and his inefficient shooting numbers. He's a uniquely gifted player, and he is under contract for a while and still just 23. There is a reality where Charlotte can use him as the centerpiece for the second pick without including the fourth pick, but it's hard to see that happening.

Plus, San Antonio likely doesn't want to lose a draft pick entirely in this loaded class. Parting with Ball and the number four pick is hard to swallow, but maybe a team like Orlando gets involved and gives up the 16th pick in a three-team deal. The Houston Rockets, another team linked to Ball, own the 10th pick and fit nicely in that trade possibility.

The logistics of the trade aside, the main point is that it's possibly now or never for Charlotte. They have the chance to move on from Ball and get their point guard of the future, but they might not have that in 2026 or later. Ball more or less gets less valuable with every passing season with age and a shorter contract term.

The 2026 draft class also doesn't have a guard quite on par with Harper as of now. Ball's probably not being traded at all, but there's a path forward without him before the draft that makes a lot more sense than one after.