With a 14-47 record (and a 2-11 record since the trade deadline), the Charlotte Hornets rank as one of the worst teams in the NBA. They have the second-worst net rating in the league and are a bottom-three offensive team. While not technically eliminated, it is safe to assume the Hornets will miss the playoffs once again this year. In that case, this will be their ninth-consecutive season missing the playoffs. To make matters worse for Hornets fans, NBA insider Michael Scotto recently hinted at a potential trade that could shake up the organization. A trade that would involve their star guard LaMelo Ball (YouTube link).
“I touched on this with some of the other guys, and some executives around the league are looking at it too. If you were willing to part with Mark Williams—who’s 23 and pretty good, though he has some injury concerns—the next logical thing would be to also look at LaMelo Ball. He’s on a max contract, and they’re not winning, obviously, for the foreseeable future. For LaMelo, he wants to win. This is now going to be his fifth season. How much longer does he see himself there? That’s what I’ve been told. And I’ll say this, Matt—at the end of the day, I also think not being an All-Star and not winning affected him. He had the numbers on paper, but Charlotte’s record hurt his chances. From what I’ve been told, he wants to win competitively.”
Ball has spent his entire five-year NBA career in Charlotte so far. Despite establishing himself as a top guard in the NBA (when healthy), his play has not translated to winning basketball for the team.
NBA Insider Hints at Potential Blockbuster Charlotte Hornets Trade
Michael Scotto Names Another Hornets Starter as a Potential Trade Candidate
According to Scotto, Ball is not the only Hornets player who may be on the move. Recently, Scotto reported that Miles Bridges is a player to watch in the trade market this summer.
“Lastly, forward Miles Bridges will also be a name to watch on the trade market this offseason. When Bridges originally signed his three-year, $75 million contract, it was structured to descend and be used as a trade chip, league sources told HoopsHype. Bridges will be owed $25 million for the 2025-26 season and $22.83 million in the 2026-27 season.”
As it stands, it is unclear how likely the Hornets are to make a major move this offseason. However, per Scotto’s reports, there is at least a small possibility.
Last month, the Hornets were pretty active at the trade deadline. They acquired Jusuf Nurkic from the Phoenix Suns and Josh Okogie in January. Additionally, they agreed to trade Mark Williams to the Los Angeles Lakers for Dalton Knecht. However, due to problems with Williams’ physical, this trade fell through.
It is clear that the Hornets are willing to change the roster around a little bit. Whether they are willing to trade their star player or not is a different story, however.
Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The post NBA Insider Hints at Potential Blockbuster Charlotte Hornets Trade appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.