The Golden State Warriors are among the favorites to land LaMelo Ball if the Charlotte Hornets star will be moved this summer.
Bovada has installed the Warriors as +750 co-favorites with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic as Ball’s next team. The Toronto Raptors trail them with +1100 odds.
Ball is the next young star to watch in the trade market this summer, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported on March 3, as the Charlotte Hornets are about to miss the playoffs for the ninth straight season. Their last playoff appearance was in the 2016-16 season when Ball was still a freshman at Chino Hills.
“Following the Luka Doncic trade, NBA executives around the league have expanded their horizons on which potential stars could be next to change teams. The availability of Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is one of the stars several executives who spoke with HoopsHype will be monitoring on the trade market this summer,” Scotto wrote.
Warriors Passed Up on LaMelo Ball for Draft Bust
The Warriors passed up on Ball during the 2020 NBA draft as they selected center James Wiseman at No. 2, a decision which they certainly regret as the 6-foot-11 center turned out to be a draft bust.
They traded Wiseman after only one-and-a-half seasons with them. Wiseman is now out of the league after he was waived by the Raptors last month after getting traded from Indiana.
On the other hand, Ball became an All-Star during the 2021-22 season and led the All-Star voting this season. Unfortunately, he did not get enough votes from his peers and coaches to get his second All-Star berth.
The 23-year-old fan favorite is averaging career highs in points (26.1) and rebounds (5.2) while dishing out 7.0 assists and picking up 1.2 steals for the 14-46 Hornets, who lost Ball’s running mate Brandon Miller to a season-ending wrist injury in January.
LaMelo Ball as Steph Curry’s Understudy?
Ball dropped 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block while shooting 8-of-21 from the field and 4-9 from the three-point line in 34 minutes when the Hornets lost to the Warriors on Monday, March 3.
After the game, Warriors star Stephen Curry praised Ball and sees parallels in their career paths.
“[Ball] is tough,” Curry told reporters. “He’s unorthodox the way he gets to his jumper, his space creation. He just has his style, and he’s very comfortable doing it. He can have huge games because he’s confident in himself. Hopefully, he can stay healthy. His availability is everything. I went through it my first three years. He’s been going through it, so hopefully, he can turn the corner and get his body right so that he can be out here and then take that next step.”
Like Curry in his first few seasons in the league, Ball has also been limited by ankle injuries. The Hornets star point guard has only played a combined 48 games over the last two seasons before this season.
If the Warriors are to trade for him, he could become Curry’s understudy as the Warriors’ longtime franchise star is turning 37 on March 14.
Ball is in the first year of his five-year, $203.9 million rookie extension deal. He is due for $37.9 million next season.
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