The draft night trade discussions have intensified as LaMelo Ball becomes the next star player after Jaylen Brown to find himself at the epicenter of rumors.
According to ESPN’s senior NBA insider, Shams Charania, the Hornets’ front office is listening to offers for the former All-Star, and he could be heading out of Charlotte within two days.
“We started the night talking about Boston’s Jaylen Brown. And another star whose name is picking up steam here in the trade market, during the draft week, as we get closer to free agency, is Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball,” said Charania.
“Multiple teams are strongly pursuing LaMelo Ball, and the Hornets are engaged, I’m told. Ball had a strong finish to the season, and it mirrored the Hornets’ rise in the last calendar year. Both sides are in a good place, and Ball wants to be in Charlotte, I’m told.”
“But this is an organization fielding some aggressive offers. So if the price is met, he could very well be on the move. This is a developing story, potentially over the next 24-48 hours,” he further added.
The former All-Star’s career has significantly derailed since his sole All-Star selection in 2021-22 due to persistently lingering injury issues that even saw him miss a significant portion of three seasons before the 2025-26 season.
This year, he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 40.7% from the field and 36.8% from the field in 72 games played. So last season has proved that since his surgery in 2025, Ball has recovered to his old self and can still be a playmaking and sharpshooting threat on any team.
The Hornets are stacked with young talent after this season’s draft, especially in the guard position. So much so that the 24-year-old Ball seems like the veteran on this team. Therefore, the Hornets may decide to capitalize on his value now before a younger player potentially overshadows him.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Timberwolves and the Raptors are the two teams leading the race to trade for LaMelo Ball presently. The Timberwolves cleared significant cap space by trading away Julius Randle for a second-round pick, and Anthony Edwards is reportedly strongly urging their front office to find a star player to join him in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the Raptors have asked around the league about guards in the past as well, but seem to be satisfied with Immanuel Quickley as of now. Ball has a higher ceiling than Quickley, even though he hasn’t participated in the postseason in six NBA seasons. Quickley recently turned 27, and Ball will turn 25 in August.
Both were chosen in the 2020 NBA draft, but Quickley’s career average is 14.4 points per game, while Ball’s is 20.8 points per game. The Raptors were unable to fully assess Quickley’s potential contribution to a postseason team because he was hurt during the team’s playoff run against the Cavaliers.
Therefore, both the Timberwolves and the Raptors could use a guard like LaMelo Ball to propel them from being a good team to a great, potentially championship-contending team. It will be fascinating to see whether Ball ends up leaving Charlotte in the next 48 hours.
