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Shams drops wild LaMelo Ball, Hornets trade development amid NBA Draft
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- Shams drops wild LaMelo Ball, Hornets trade development amid NBA Draft
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The NBA is always full of surprises. After the NBA Draft has ended, a bombshell report has come out from Shams Charania. During his appearance on ESPN, the insider reported that the Charlotte Hornets are fielding many offers for star point guard LaMelo Ball . While Ball intends to stay in Charlotte, Shams says that with the right offer, the team might pull the trigger and trade their star guard.
Marc Stein reports that the Toronto Raptors and the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the running to acquire LaMelo Ball . Both teams have an urgent need at point guard and have the necessary cap space to trade for the Hornets star.
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Ball and the Hornets enjoyed a strong late surge in the 2025-26 season. After a dismal start to the season, Charlotte was one of the hottest teams in the league in the second half of the season. Ball was the focal point of that bounce back, averaging 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. Charlotte was able to make their way into the Play-In Tournament as a top seed, but unfortunately lost their next two games and was eliminated from the postseason.
Ball has stated his intention to stay with the Hornets before. Early in the 2025-26 season, the guard was asked about his intentions after a 4-11 start to the year.
"I love being here," Ball responded. "I ain't saying nothing. I'm just trying to win, that's it. That's what we're going to keep doing."
The Hornets were active in the 2026 NBA Draft. They drafted energetic forward Hannes Steinbach with the 14th pick and guard Christian Anderson shortly after. Was their decision to draft Anderson, a scoring guard, a sign of their willingness to trade Ball? We'll find out in the coming days.
Related: Bucks rumors: Milwaukee explored LaMelo Ball trade before moving Giannis Antetokounmpo
Related: Fans clown ESPN for silent Dirk Nowitzki message to Hornets' Hannes Steinbach
