Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball revealed on Thursday afternoon that he’s open to a trade from the team following the 127-118 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko revealed.
In 27 minutes, Ball shot 5-for-21 from the field against Indiana, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
So, where could the 24-year-old land after revealing his emotions in the team he’s played for since getting drafted No. 3 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft?
There’s another point guard in Memphis who’s in a similar situation. A trade between the two teams could give both players a chance to reset their careers.
The perfect LaMelo Ball trade involves Ja Morant and the Grizzlies
Grizzlies superstar point guard Ja Morant is currently injured with a calf strain and will be out for at least the next two weeks, but his recent actions have revealed that his time in Memphis may be coming to a close.
Both Memphis and the Charlotte Hornets appear to be in the same situation with their superstar guards, so would it be realistic if the two teams just swapped players in a trade?
Morant is a two-time All-Star with career averages of 22.4 points, 7.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. While he’s had a rough start to the 2025-26 season, he’s proven to be one of the most electrifying players in the NBA when healthy.
Ball is a one-time All-Star with career averages of 21.1 points, 7.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game. He appeared in only 105 total games over the last three seasons due to injuries, but he became the fourth-youngest All-Star in NBA history in the 2021-22 season.
In a deal like this, it may work out nearly perfectly. Morant is currently playing in his third season of a five-year, $197.23 million deal he signed back in 2022. Meanwhile, LaMelo Ball is in his second season of a five-year, $203.85 million contract he signed in 2023.
This means that Morant is making an annual income of about $39.4 million and Ball is making $40.8 million a year. The two contracts are very similar to each other, making it an easy one-for-one.
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With all of this being said, the Grizzlies may be the top candidate to land LaMelo Ball if he’s traded.
