They report that LaMelo Ball would be open to a trade, but silence the rumors on social media

LaMelo Ball has posted great stats this season when he’s on the court, averaging 21.6 points, 9.6 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game in the nine games he’s played. That said, he shoots just 38.5% from the floor, 29.8% from 3-point range. He helped make the Hornets competitive in games, but they still stumbled to 4-11 to start the season.

That’s why there’s logic to the idea that Ball would be open to a trade, perhaps around the February deadline, and Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reported yes.

Announcement

Star guard LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade away from the franchise, multiple league sources told Yahoo Sports.

LaMelo responded on X, dismissing the idea.

If this answer doesn’t make it clear, Ball didn’t ask for a trade. Additionally, the Hornets’ front office has no plans to move Ball at this time, Jake Fischer reports at Bleacher Report. Understandably, Charlotte wants to get Brandon Miller back from his shoulder injury and see what this team looks like when fully healthy (they may be 4-11, but they’ve played more competitively than their record suggests).

Announcement

That said, there are playoff teams in need of point guard play – Orlando, perhaps Houston and others – who are monitoring the situation. There would be a market for Ball, although due to his injury history and defensive issues, that trade wouldn’t bring back as much as the Hornets might imagine.

It’s not just Ball’s situation that teams are monitoring. The same goes for Ja Morant in Memphis and Trae Young in Atlanta, both of whom are currently injured.