Kelly Ilko of Yahoo Sports reported on Thursday that Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball “has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization.” Ilko added that Ball “is open to a trade” after the Hornets suffered a 127-118 loss to the 2-13 Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. The defeat, the team’s fourth straight and eighth in nine games, dropped the Hornets to a 4-11 record.Ball reacted to the news with a clown emoji a few hours after Ilko posted the report on X:Ilko underlined a major point about why LaMelo Ball’s days in Charlotte are numbered. He said that there is a difference in how Ball plays and how Hornets coach Charles Lee is running the offense. According to the NBA insider, Ball wants an uptempo style while Lee prefers a “deliberate offensive system.”Lee’s offense is anchored on “ball and player movement,” which has helped rookie Kon Knueppel stand out. Miles Bridges has also been more involved in this setup than before.Kelly Ilko continued:“League sources say the front office is increasingly hesitant about cementing Ball as a long-term foundational piece, has become disillusioned with the 24-year-old and is open to moving him.”LaMelo Ball signed a five-year, $203.8 million contract with the Hornets in 2023, per Spotrac. He is in the books this season, the second year of his deal, for $37.9 million. Ball is owed $130.5 million in the next three seasons.Right ankle issues continue to hound LaMelo BallRight ankle issues continue to plague LaMelo Ball, even after undergoing two surgeries. He had one in March 2023 and another roughly two years later. From 2022-23 to 2024-25, Ball played in 105 out of 246 games.This season, he has already sat out six of the Hornets’ 15 games because of the same issue.Kelly Ilko noted that the Hornets are a much better team with Ball than without. But if the point guard continues to miss games, it makes sense for coach Charles Lee to adapt his team’s offense. By having a more deliberate offense, the Hornets could make up for Ball’s potential absences.Stars with long injury histories and massive contracts are often hard to trade. The Hornets, as Ilko reported, could be open to trading Ball, but those factors could make a trade difficult.