NBA Trade Rumors: LaMelo Ball in the Mix for 3-Team Blockbuster Move Sending Klay Thompson to Lakers at Expense of $51 Million Star

NBA Trade Rumors: LaMelo Ball in the mix for 3-Team Blockbuster Move Sending Klay Thompson to Lakers at Expense of $51 Million Star (Image sources: Getty and Imagn)
NBA Trade Rumors: LaMelo Ball in the Mix for 3-Team Blockbuster Move Sending Klay Thompson to Lakers at Expense of $51 Million Star (Image sources: Getty and Imagn)

A blockbuster trade involving Klay Thompson and LaMelo Ball has been floated amid the dismal start of their teams.

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The LA Lakers are also part of the trade proposal created by Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz. In the three-team deal, the Dallas Mavericks would get Ball, while Thompson would land in LA alongside Daniel Gafford.

The Charlotte Hornets will receive a package headlined by Rui Hachimura, who is on a three-year, $51 million contract, per Spotrac. To make salaries match, Charlotte will also get Dalton Knecht, Max Christie, Gabe Vincent and a 2029 first-round pick.

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According to Swartz, the three-team trade proposal will benefit all the teams involved, especially the Hornets (6-14) and the Mavericks (6-15). Charlotte will get quite a massive haul in exchange for Ball, who has been the subject of several trade rumors as reports of him being "unhappy" surface.

Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko said on Nov. 20 that league sources have indicated that Ball is "open" to being traded away.

"A three-team trade between the Mavs, Lakers and Hornets could turn Dallas into a contender once again while giving Flagg an elite point guard to grow with," Swartz wrote on Monday.
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Ball will land in Dallas, which needs a primary ballhandler as Kyrie Irving recovers from an ACL injury. Cooper Flagg has played several games as the point guard, which is not his primary position.

How will Klay Thompson fit with the red-hot Lakers?

The LA Lakers are off to a 15-4 start and, coming into Monday, have won seven straight games. While it is unusual for a team on a streak to make roster changes, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz said that his trade idea will not be an overhaul for the Lakers.

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Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson would address the Lakers' poor 3-point shooting. The team is just 25th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (11.6) and 21st in 3-point percentage (35.0%). While his production has dipped, Thompson could be still a 3-point threat in a lineup with Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.

In addition, Klay Thompson was reportedly pursued by the Lakers in 2024 before eventually signing a three-year, $50 million deal with Dallas.

In the trade proposal, Doncic will also reunite with another former teammate in Daniel Gafford. Gafford is a starting-caliber big man who could come off the bench behind Deandre Ayton.

Charlotte Hornets Fan? Check out the latest Charlotte Hornets Depth Chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos
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