The Charlotte Hornets and LaMelo Ball appear to be heading toward separation. Ball has battled an ankle injury this week. But now he reportedly wants out of the organization.
NBA insider Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports dropped the bombshell news on Thursday, all amid a slow start for the Hornets.
“Amidst a rough 4-11 start, Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade, league sources tell Yahoo Sports,” Iko posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
Ball became a part of a rather hilarious moment involving Kon Knueppel against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Yet it's looking like his relationship with the team has soured.
What went wrong with LaMelo Ball and Hornets?
The 24-year-old not long ago established himself as the face of “Buzz City.”
Ball arrived as the third overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft — joining a class featuring Anthony Edwards, Obi Toppin and Tyrese Haliburton.
But Iko dove into additional reasons why Ball and Charlotte are heading toward a pre-NBA Trade deadline move.
“On Wednesday night, the one-time All-Star was benched for the final 4:32 of regulation in the 127-119 loss, finishing the game with 18 points on just 5-for-21 shooting and 6 turnovers in 27 minutes,” Iko wrote.
The sharpshooter is also experiencing career lows in field goal percentage at .385, plus 3-point percentage at .298.
He's still dropping 21.6 points per game for the Eastern Conference franchise while also dishing out 9.6 assists (career-best mark). But given his youth and past NBA All-Star experience, Ball will likely command attention in the trade market.
