Over his six games back, Ball has quietly re-established the version of himself the Charlotte Hornets have long believed can anchor either their future or their leverage.

Early on, the explosiveness was there, but what’s stood out most has been the steadiness. Ball has looked far more deliberate in how he picks his spots, balancing the flair that makes him special with a patience that keeps the offense organized. The turnovers have stabilized a bit and his ability to dictate tempo has been far more pronounced than it was prior to the injury. Rather than forcing games, he’s letting them come to him — a subtle but critical shift.

From a numbers perspective, Ball has hovered around his expected production, but the bigger takeaway is how repeatable it’s looked night to night. The scoring hasn’t spiked wildly. Over his six games since returning he's put up 28, 8, 23, 23, 22, and 26 point games.

That matters immensely for how the Hornets move forward. If Ball can sustain this level of consistency, his trade value only rises. Around the league, teams aren’t just evaluating talent — they’re evaluating reliability. That also means he needs to stay healthy.

Six steady games don’t erase past availability concerns, but they do start to reframe the conversation around him as someone trending back toward being a dependable franchise piece rather than a volatile asset.

The trade rumors around Lamelo Ball have already been circulating plenty this year, but what follows those discussions are what exactly the value is for LaMelo at this point.

On the flip side, this stretch also strengthens the internal case for Ball remaining a pillar of what Charlotte is building. A composed, healthy LaMelo Ball could pair very nicely with what they clearly already have in Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges in a scoring and offensive explosiveness sense.

Six games isn't enough, but it certainly points to LaMelo heading in the right direction. (Knocks on wood)