The Charlotte Hornets have never made the playoffs in the LaMelo Ball era.
NBA analyst Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report thinks the Charlotte Hornets should trade LaMelo Ball this offseason.
The Hornets have never made the playoffs in the Ball era.
"Did playing 72 games and helping lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 44-38 record make Ball untouchable? It shouldn't have, as Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller are the more important pieces here," Swartz wrote. "If anything, it may be time to sell high on Ball, as Charlotte has yet to make the playoffs in any of his six seasons."
Ball played in 72 games for the Hornets this season. He averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 40.7% from the field, 36.8% from beyond the arc and 89.9% from the free-throw line.
A one-time All-Star, Ball has two years remaining on his contract and is eligible to extend for three years, $119.9 million after the NBA Finals, per Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Hornets signed Ball to a five-year, $203 million extension in 2023. Ball will make $40,770,520 next season, $43,582,280 in 2027-28 and $46,394,040 in 2028-29.
Ball finished the 2025-26 season seventh in the NBA in total assists and ninth in assists per game. Former NBA executive and current analyst for The Athletic, John Hollinger, believes Ball should be considered "a candidate for Third-Team All-NBA."
Ball led the NBA in offensive rating since the All-Star break.
"I haven’t heard him get a lot of shine for end-of-season honors, but Ball has played enough games to be eligible (!) and should be a candidate for Third-Team All-NBA," Hollinger wrote.
The Hornets didn't make the playoffs this season, but they have a bright future with Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel leading the way. If Ball gets traded, Miller and Knueppel would have more shots on offense next season. Charlotte can also re-sign Coby White and replace Ball with White in the starting lineup.
It will be interesting to see if the Hornets trade Ball this summer. Ball doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract.
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