Would the Charlotte Hornets really part ways with LaMelo Ball?
After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2026 playoffs in six games, the Houston Rockets have been urged to pursue a trade for Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball this offseason.
NBA analyst Dan Favale of Bleacher Report says the Rockets need to trade for a primary offensive option this summer and he listed Ball as an option.
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.
Ball has career averages of 20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game with the Hornets. Those are great numbers, but the guard has yet to make the playoffs.
Would Charlotte really trade Ball after how well he played this season? You never know. After all, no one thought the Dallas Mavericks would trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
Ball on the Rockets would be fun to watch because he would be playing with future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. Houston needs a floor general and Ball is one of the best point guards in the NBA.
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