LaMelo Ball has been a hot topic in trade rumors since the start of the season. Over the last few weeks many rumors suggested that the Hornets were looking to ship Ball out of Charlotte. However, during a media apperance on Friday, Ball shut down all the rumors.
The Hornets star told reporters that the rumors were false, as the information did not come directly from him. However, on Saturday, NBA insider Jake Fischer dropped a bombshell on the Hornets star's refusal. He revealed that Charlotte is ready to listen to trade offers for their star guard.
"The Hornets have definitely given other teams the impression they will listen to offers for him," Fisher wrote.
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LaMelo Ball is averaging 21.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game in nine games. Despite being a good offensive player, the Hornets' star guard's injuries have constantly hindered him and his team. According to league insider Kelly Iko, the Hornets have grown concerned about Ball's future in the franchise as a long-term piece.
Ball has played more than 50 games only twice in his career. He played 51 games in his rookie season and 75 games in his sophomore season.
Brian Windhorst warns Hornets fans about a potential LaMelo Ball trade
LaMelo Ball is one of the most entertaining players to watch in the modern-day NBA. The Hornets star has always been a player who never misses an opportunity to entertain the fans, whether it be flashy dribbles or logo 3-pointers. However, his conditioning has kept him away from the court in times when his team needed him the most.
Ball was one of the best guards in the league last season. He averaged a career-high 25.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 7.4 apg, but unfortunately, his brilliance was limited to only 47 games.
However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes that the Ball's stardom is not enough to get the Hornets good value in return. On Friday, Windhorst expressed his opinion on the subject on "The Hoop Collective". (Timestamp: 3:43):
"There may not be action just right now by the Hornets to look for a trade, but there’s just not that many teams that are seriously in need of a point guard. Let’s say there’s seven or eight who could use an upgrade," Windhorst said.
Later, the ESPN analyst said that despite LaMelo Ball's injury history, teams are willing to take a chance on him. As of now, there is no trade offer made for Ball to the Hornets.
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