LaMelo Ball is gone. NBA personalities, Charlotte Hornets fans love it and hate it
The Charlotte Hornets traded away LaMelo Ball — their most popular but polarized possession — on Thursday morning.
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And the move set the internet ablaze.
Former NBA players, league personalities, Hornets fans and many others weighed in on the front office’s decision to move on from Ball, the 24-year-old exuberant star.
Some thought the move was foolish. Others expressed that the Hornets couldn’t be a winner with Ball as its leader. Some prayed that this could pave the way for another massive move the Hornets could make, what with them having the largest trade exception in league history — upward of $40 million.
But most dwelt somewhere in the middle. They’re unhappy that the 6-foot-7, 180-pound point guard who averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 steals and 4.8 rebounds is gone; they’re also intrigued by what this could mean for the future of Charlotte, a franchise that made the play-in tournament last year but hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015-16.
Here are some highlights from commentary around the league.
Miles Bridges, who has had a front row seat to Ball’s ascension in the league for the past several years, took to Instagram to react to Ball being traded.
“My brotha, my best friend, can’t believe this is real,” Bridges wrote over a highlight that involved Ball throwing up an alley-oop to him. “Love gang.”
Miles Bridges reacts to the LaMelo Ball trade on IG: “My brotha, My Bestfriend, can’t believe this is real. Love gang” pic.twitter.com/V13AgP4zpg
Jeff Teague, a former NBA guard and Wake Forest star, explained on his popular podcast Club 520 that the trade for the Hornets could enable Kon Kneuppel and Brandon Miller to take the next steps in their NBA careers.
He also has an interesting idea … involving Miles Bridges.
“But it’s actually good because I think we’re going to see Brandon Miller become the player we think he can be,” Teague said. “I really think Brandon Miller can be a Top 3 shooting guard in the league. He and Kon Knueppel as your featured players.
“I don’t know what they do with Miles Bridges. Mixtape Miles. I would love for him to go to Detroit. I feel like he fits the whole vibe up there.”
Jeff Teague says Brandon Miller can be at top three shooting guard in the league next year with LaMelo Ball being traded:
“Him and Kon Knueppel they about to be the featured players…. He got the potential he averaged 20 last year, and he going to have more of a passer, not… pic.twitter.com/YXPSn6bl7R
Nick Wright, the vaunted analyst for FOX Sports, did not hold back in his applauding of the Hornets’ decision to part ways with Ball. He said the trade is a win for the Hornets.
“Congratulations to the Charlotte Hornets for making a tough decision when they needed to make it,” Wright said. “And having a chance to move forward with Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller and build around that team rather than being attached to who I believe to be, while exciting, an unserious, injury-prone player — who in about two weeks was going to expect, understandably, (an extension).”
“Congratulations to the Charlotte Hornets for making a tough decision when they needed to make it… I don’t understand what Minnesota is doing, even if you like the talent more than I do in LaMelo Ball.”@getnickwright reacts to LaMelo being traded to the T-Wolves for Naz Reid: pic.twitter.com/JBfM16bbja
Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo sports podcaster and writer, is fascinated by the trade on both sides. He doesn’t seem to mind all Charlotte gave up for Ball.
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“Hornets have totally reshaped that frontcourt between the draft and this trade,” O’Connor wrote on X. “Naz Reid is an incredible fit for this offense. Diabate, Steinbach, Kalkbrenner, Naz Reid. Can shape-shift to play so many different styles. And now sitting on so much draft capital for the future too.”
Pretty wild deal.
-Wolves raise their ceiling with LaMelo. Incredibly risky though given LaMelo’s durability issues. Gonna be fun at the least watching Melo/Ant. I don’t think the Wolves are quite done making moves either…stay tuned.
-Hornets have totally reshaped that… https://t.co/W9mGXb8dyN
Jon Metler, who talks NBA for Covers, thinks that it isn’t inconceivable for the Hornets to flip this trade and acquire Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown. Check his reasoning below.
For what it’s worth, Charlotte Observer Hornets reporter Rod Boone and columnist Scott Fowler have each written about such a possibility.
Pretty wild deal.
-Wolves raise their ceiling with LaMelo. Incredibly risky though given LaMelo’s durability issues. Gonna be fun at the least watching Melo/Ant. I don’t think the Wolves are quite done making moves either…stay tuned.
-Hornets have totally reshaped that… https://t.co/W9mGXb8dyN
ESPN, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report all have the Hornets coming out of this trade with their “higher grades,” as this below post points out. Explanations for those grades can be found at each of their websites.
Grading the LaMelo Ball-Naz Reid trade between the Charlotte Hornets and Minnesota Timberwolves… 🤔
ESPN
— Hornets: B-
— Wolves: D+
The Athletic
— Hornets: A-
— Wolves: D+
Yahoo Sports
— Hornets: A
— Wolves: C
Bleacher Report
— Hornets: B+
— Wolves: B- pic.twitter.com/QsuY9qSUVT
Now, that’s a lot of measured positivity. A lot of cautious optimism. Meanwhile, Hornets fans didn’t exactly share in that on Thursday.
One fan, driving through uptown, offered an interview with WCNC’s Nick Carboni while he was in the driver’s seat of his car and voiced his … well … displeasure.
“Trading LaMelo Ball from the Hornets?” one fan began. “That’s like trading Michael Jordan off the Chicago Bulls. Y’all already didn’t give us Kobe Bryant. Y’all keep messing up the team chemistry. He was the hottest on the team. He brought us all the ticket sales. He made the most points on the team. It was nobody else better than him.”
He then pointed to Spectrum Center, where his car sat right outside: “He made us want to come here. … Bring back LaMelo! Reverse the trade!”
People are not happy pic.twitter.com/kNwxSizuCA
Others shared in the catharsis, too — some resorting to jokes about the hectic postgame interviews Anthony Edwards and Ball furnished, some resorting to utter confusion.
The Minnesota Timberwolves PR team department seeing lamelo ball get paired up with Anthony Edwards pic.twitter.com/sF15FGKPN6
Hornets really had Melo, B Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges and Moses Diabete winning every game after the All-Star break and giving the team culture + identity. The first time in the teams history. This LaMelo trade is just confusing
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Rudy Gobert when he catches that first lob from LaMelo https://t.co/uzw7j8ddzq
