LaMelo Ball trade rumors: Ranking best fits for Hornets star guard

The NBA draft just ended, but there already may be some massive hoops news on the horizon.

According to ESPN, the Charlotte Hornets are engaged with multiple teams in discussions about trading point guard LaMelo Ball, who helped revive the Hornets to a 44-38 record this season and a berth in the Play-In Tournament.

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Ball has played six seasons in the NBA and averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 72 games this past season. The 24-year-old is a supremely gifted offensive player, though he’s a high-volume shooter prone to stretches of highly inefficient play. Despite that, under the right program and system, Ball could find a new home that would better suit him.

Here are the best fits for LaMelo Ball, if he’s traded from the Hornets:

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Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball celebrates after scoring against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center.

They just traded Julius Randle, previously the team’s No. 2 scoring threat, and the Timberwolves need to both capitalize on this window to win with star Anthony Edwards, while keeping him happy. It just so happens that the biggest area of need on the roster is at point guard.

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And added benefit from Ball is that he’s a player who can create his own shot, which is something Minnesota’s other players struggled with when teams threw double teams at Edwards. By trading Randle, the Timberwolves cleared cap space and created a $33.3 million trade exception, which creates the structure to pull in a player like Ball.

The Raptors improved this season and became quite competitive down the stretch, though Toronto’s offense disappointed late in the season. Much like all teams on this list, there’s a glaring lack of offensive production that needs to be addressed; the Raptors ranked 26th in the NBA in converted 3-pointers per game (11.4). Ball, on his own, averaged 3.8 made 3s per game. The Raptors would almost certainly need to ship Immanuel Quickley, but Ball’s injury history does raise some concerns.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lamelo-ball-trade-rumors-ranking-052838071.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-25 05:28:00

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