How the LaMelo Ball era in Charlotte came to its sudden end

Two weeks ago, as NBA teams ramped up their draft preparation efforts — scheduling workouts, finalizing big boards and, more importantly, gathering intel on potential trades — one Eastern Conference name, sources say, continued to permeate conversations. 

It wasn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo. And it wasn’t Jaylen Brown. 

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It was Hornets forward Miles Bridges. 

At a glance, Charlotte actively shopping Bridges made sense. A team quietly being reshaped around a young head coach and an even younger core suddenly had a 28-year-old entering the final year of his contract (Bridges will make an estimated $22.8 million in 2026-27). The sharp decline in his two-way impact — Bridges finished the 2024-25 season in the 91st percentile of efficiency differential, but fell to just the 23rd this past season — compared to the second-half surge from the rest of the team making him available also tracked in some circles. The Hornets’ hopes of adding a quality big to the roster, dangling Bridges in talks, checked out as well. But the more Bridges’ name was discussed in hypotheticals, the more the conversation shifted in another direction.

Enter LaMelo Ball. 

Interest around the league concerning the 24-year-old lead guard had begun circulating months before, when early season tensions and a rough acclimation process led to serious questions about Ball’s future in Charlotte. Ball responded by settling in to head coach Charles Lee’s egalitarian offensive system, ceding less touches while still maintaining engine control, resulting in a 99th percentile offensive efficiency impact, spearheading the NBA’s most lethal five-man regular-season pairing and second-half surge that resulted in 44 wins. 

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Despite a disappointing play-in exit to Orlando, internal optimism remained. Lee had successfully galvanized the group, rookie Kon Knueppel had taken the league by storm and Charlotte was emerging as an attractive destination for talent. Less than a fortnight after being eliminated from the play-in, Ball had been seen back at the team facilities preparing for another campaign. 

But the period between the end of the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/how-the-lamelo-ball-era-in-charlotte-came-to-its-sudden-end-000554287.html

Author : Kelly Iko

Publish date : 2026-06-26 00:05:00

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