The Sacramento Kings have been urged to trade for Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball. 

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report thinks the Kings should attempt to trade for Ball, one of the best scorers and passers in the NBA. 

"A point guard rotation consisting of Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook is not going to make the playoffs in the year 2026," Swartz wrote. "If there was ever a team to take a swing on a big-time talent like LaMelo Ball, it's these Sacramento Kings.

"Ball is an elite passer who could ignite an offense if paired with Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine. Durability is an issue, of course, although a change of scenery and medical staff may help the 24-year-old become a regular All-Star.

"If the Charlotte Hornets start heading towards another lost season and want to build around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, Ball could still fetch a hefty return from a team desperate for a star point guard like the Kings."

The Kings traded De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs last season. While they added Westbrook and Schroder this offseason, Ball is younger and much better than those two veterans. 

A one-time All-Star, Ball has career averages of 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He won the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year Award but has never been to the playoffs. 

The Hornets are still in rebuild mode and could get a big haul for Ball. Meanwhile, the Kings are in win-now mode since they have All-Stars (LaVine, Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan) leading the way.

Ball doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract. There haven't been any rumors stating that the Hornets are interested in trading the talented playmaker, but things could change if Charlotte has a bad record near the February trade deadline. 

The Hornets haven't made the playoffs since 2016, while the Kings haven't made the playoffs since 2023. Sacramento lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2023 playoffs in seven thrilling games. 

The odds of the Kings trading for Ball are pretty low, but nothing can be ruled out in today's NBA anymore after the Dallas Mavericks traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last season.