Do you agree with this player ranking for LaMelo Ball?

One analyst thinks Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball is the 45th-best player in the NBA. 

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report ranked Ball 45th in his top 100 players list for the 2025-26 season. 

"Ball is a fun player to watch," Pincus wrote. "He gets up and down the floor quickly, takes (and makes, sometimes) wild shot attempts, and is a high-level assist generator. His team, however, has been reliably awful throughout most of Ball's young career.

"If his All-Star nod in 2021-22 as a sophomore was premature, he averaged a career-high of 25.2 points per game last season. Unfortunately, he's struggled to stay healthy over the last three years, which has been the Hornets' most significant hurdle. If the talent was there (debatable), health was not.

"On paper, Charlotte has a young, exciting roster. The team may not be ready to go on a Detroit Pistons run (from high lottery to playoffs), but if Ball, Brandon Miller and the rest of the group can prove durable, the play-in tournament isn't out of bounds.

"In the meantime, Ball's lack of availability, coupled with his team's inability to make the postseason, suggests his prolific output may be empty calories. Now is an ideal time for Ball to shake that reputation."

Ball played in 47 games for the Hornets last season. He averaged 25.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting 40.5% from the field, 33.9% from beyond the arc and 84.3% from the free-throw line.

Ball will make $37.9 million this season. He has career averages of 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists, which are strong numbers, but the Hornets haven't made the playoffs with Ball leading the way. 

Some people around the NBA believe the Hornets should trade Ball and had the keys to the franchise to Miller. Ball doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, so he can't stop Charlotte from trading him if that's the route the franchise decides to take. 

Ball has been linked to the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers since he was born and raised in California.