LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball enjoyed a brief reunion in Charlotte when the Hornets signed the elder brother on Thursday. But now less than 24 hours later, that family affair is over.
On Friday afternoon, Hornets president/GM Mitch Kupchak announced that the team waived LiAngelo.
While his time with the NBA squad was limited, his time with the organization may not be over just yet.
As originally reported by The Charlotte Observer on Thursday, LiAngelo was signed yesterday with the full intention of waiving him today — a move made to retain his G-League rights and clear the way for him to potentially play for the Greensboro Swarm.
LiAngelo, the brother of current star point guard LaMelo, suited up for five Summer League games with the Hornets, averaging 9.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 17.4 minutes per game. Despite this better-than-expected production, he was not invited to join Charlotte’s 20-player training-camp roster.
While he may not have earned a roster spot, the 22 year old’s Summer League play put him in the good graces of head coach James Borrego.
“I’m comfortable with LiAngelo and how he played,” Borrego said. “I thought he got better during that period but we have to make certain decisions here, and I’m comfortable with where we’re at. … I can only speak for what he did on the floor in Vegas, and I thought he performed well and opened eyes and played at a higher level than I expected.”
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