Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball wasted little time in denying a report that claimed he was open to a trade amid “frustrations” with the organization. The 2022 All-Star and former Rookie of the Year posted a clown emoji after the story started making the rounds, but he went into more detail about the matter on Friday afternoon. Ball publicly reiterated his loyalty to the franchise that drafted him back in 2020.

“He never heard that come from me,” the 24-year-old point guard said, per Jeremy Grandison of Fourcast Sports, referring to Kelly Iko's Yahoo Sports article. “The source is not from me. It's false info… I love being here. I'm just trying to win, that's it… I'm still confident in this whole group and everybody here, so I'm rockin' with it.”

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Hornets fans probably needed to hear Ball reaffirm his loyalty, but some skepticism is bound to remain. Even if the former No. 3 overall pick is not seeking a trade at this time, one has to wonder how long this marriage will last. Charlotte (4-11) has lost seven of its last eight games, quickly falling behind in what is supposed to be an opportunity-laden Eastern Conference. This is still a young team, but visible improvement is expected, nay demanded.

Thus far, despite rookie Kon Knueppel's stellar start, the Hornets remain stagnant. Ball's own struggles are only adding to the concerns surrounding the squad. He is scoring 21.6 points per game on inefficient 38.5 percent shooting through nine games. His bad habit of attempting ill-advised buckets is worse than ever, making him a liability at times. His talent is undeniable, as demonstrated by the 9.6 assists and 1.4 steals he is averaging this season, but he must exercise considerably more discipline on the floor.

Otherwise, Charlotte will fail to take the next step in its rebuild. Beyond what LaMelo Ball wants, the Hornets need to feel comfortable about No. 1 leading them for the years to come. Per his words, however, both parties are apparently on the same page for the time being.