I was sitting at my laptop trying to think up some content to post in the wake of the draft, and apparently Shams Charania decided to help out. Out of nowhere, late in the draft, Shams reported that the Charlotte Hornets are engaging with multiple teams about a potential LaMelo Ball trade.

Shams made it a point to say that multiple teams are aggressively pursuing LaMelo, so I imagine that means the offers are pretty lucrative.

There’s a lot to unpack here. It’s not the first time LaMelo has popped up in trade rumors, but the previous instances of that came under different circumstances. There was the early unfounded speculation that a global superstar sensation like Ball would never be content in a small market like Charlotte. Those quickly fell by the wayside, but then conversations started about Ball’s long term viability on the roster as he battled injuries.

This time, Ball is coming off his healthiest season since 2021-22, and he was an integral part of the late season surge that saw the Hornets play like one of the best teams in the league for over half the season. If the Hornets do trade him, it’s as a sell high proposition instead of the offloading we were looking at in years past.

I see both sides of this. On the one hand, LaMelo is one of the most talented players we’ve had in Charlotte in a long time, and there’s always the attachment that comes with having a superstar that was drafted and developed by the team. He’s an offensive virtuoso and showed last season that he can be part of a strong defensive unit when he’s locked in.

On the other hand, LaMelo is a little bit of a culture fit clash given what the front office has prioritized in their acquisitions. He’s had some off court issues that don’t rise to the level of distraction but also show a pattern of immaturity and/or bad decision making. His on floor play can be dazzling but also lacks a sort of grit the Hornets seem to covet. Whether it be a result of him trying to protect is health or just a shift in his play style, Ball’s already perennially low free throw rate dipped to its lowest level of his career this past season. It’s made it very hard to keep his efficiency above water.

This sounds an awful lot like what the Celtics are going through with Jaylen Brown, as they’re also showing “intention” in discussions around their star forward. The parallels in the reporting almost make me wonder if the two teams are engaging with one another about exchanging star players. According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Timberwolves and Raptors are thought to be part of the talks.

These rumors don’t mean Ball is going anywhere, but it certainly seems that he’s not untouchable. I think I’d be okay with either outcome. For as fun as LaMelo can be to watch, he does bring some headaches, and it might be prudent to sell while his value is at this high point. We’ll see how this progresses.