Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball's trade value is really, really low.
NBA scouts and execs recently took some shots at Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball.
Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks of ESPN spoke to people around the NBA about Ball, who has been in trade rumors for a while.
"He takes the same shots now that he took in high school," a West assistant coach said. "Nothing has changed. I actually thought early in the year he was giving more of an honest effort defensively, but the offensive side looks like nothing has changed."
"Can I trust LaMelo in the playoffs and games that matter late in the season?" an East executive said. "We just don't know."
"Nobody has ever questioned the talent," a West executive said. "But he's just so unserious."
"He's definitely one of the top three most talented guards in the league," a West executive said. "But every [scouting] report I write on him has the word 'Globetrotter' in it."
Ball is making $37.9 million this season. Trading Ball would open up more shots for Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.
The Hornets won't make the playoffs this season. They might as well part ways with Ball and get some assets in return to build around Miller and Knueppel.
The Hornets selected Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball has career averages of 20.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. He won the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year Award.
However, Charlotte is only 102-143 when Ball plays. The franchise has had just one winning season with Ball leading the way.
Ball has played in 14 games for the Hornets this season. He's averaging 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game while shooting 37.8% from the field, 28.3% from beyond the arc and 87.5% from the free-throw line.
Trading Ball would be difficult since his value around the NBA is low and he's making a lot of money.
It will be fascinating to see if Ball is traded by the Hornets this season. Several scouts who have watched Charlotte believe the team plays better when Ball is on the bench since the ball doesn't stick.
Ball has been linked to the Los Angeles Clippers since he's from California and his dad, LaVar, once said that his son would play for the Clippers.