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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball could be on the move, and it could happen within the next 48 hours, according to ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania, who broke the news on the second night of the NBA Draft.
Along with Jaylen Brown, LaMelo trade rumors are "picking up steam," according to Charania, and multiple teams are "strongly pursuing" him. While he said Ball wants to be in Charlotte, the team could move him if they get the right price for their talented guard.
Ball joined the Hornets as the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors in his debut season. Since then, he's guided the team to a near-playoff spot this past year, with the Hornets getting into the SoFi Play-In Tournament where they defeated the Miami Heat, before losing to the Orlando Magic.
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Ball, 24, was the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 20.1 points, which was just slightly below Brandon Miller. A dynamic and quick playmaker, he also led the team with 7.1 assists per game and 1.2 steals per game.
With the team nearly returning to playoff prominence this past season, one has to wonder what sort of offer the team could accept that would allow them to continue moving in that direction. Keeping Ball would seemingly keep the team chemistry intact, which has seemed great, as their core is finally winning and pushing towards the playoffs.
The team drafted Duke sharpshooter Kon Knueppel last season, who earned high praise and seemed to be a strong contender for NBA Rookie of the Year, which his former Blue Devils teammate, Cooper Flagg, won. In addition, they selected UConn's Liam McNeeley, who mostly played for their G League team, and Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner, who played admirably off the bench, even leading the team in blocks.
In the first round of this year's NBA draft, Charlotte drafted Washington forward Hannes Steinbach at No. 14, followed by Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson at No. 18. Anderson may be the reason the team is willing to listen to offers as he could be someone they felt strongly about as a floor general, but that remains to be seen.
The New York Post's Zach Braziller graded the Hornets drafting of Anderson as an A, suggesting he's a lights-out shooter and improved significantly as a playmaker. Braziller suggested that in the future, many people will wonder why Anderson didn't get selected sooner in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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