{"id":2215,"date":"2026-06-26T12:04:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2215"},"modified":"2026-06-26T12:04:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:04:46","slug":"lamelo-balls-time-is-up-the-hornets-are-resetting-what-stars-departure-means-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2215","title":{"rendered":"LaMelo Ball\u2019s time is up; the Hornets are resetting. What star\u2019s departure means"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the tail end of the season, during the conclusion of a conversation inside a local eatery, Jeff Peterson<\/u><\/a> was asked for a forecast.<\/p>\n

Read more Deputy killed when 18-wheeler slams road crew and catches fire, NC officials say<\/a><\/p>\n

Summer months typically bring a flurry of activity within the NBA, because all teams reshuffle the roster with sights set on the next season. And Peterson, the Charlotte Hornets<\/u><\/a>\u2019 president of basketball operations, didn\u2019t blink when the subject of player movement was broached in a wide-ranging chat about myriad topics.<\/p>\n

\u201cFairly good free-agent class,\u201d Peterson told The Charlotte Observer in April. \u201cAt the same time, since the league implemented these new rules, the first- and second-apron team building has become a little bit more punitive. You\u2019ve got to be very diligent and thorough in how you do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t just go pay everyone and things like that because it will compromise your future. But nonetheless, there\u2019s always going to be some movement. I expect it to be a decent amount this year, whether it\u2019s free agency or trades.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when Peterson mentioned the 2023-24 NBA champions.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year a team like Boston, they had to essentially offload the roster to get under the second apron,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cAnd they\u2019ve done a tremendous job of continuing to stay competitive. But, yeah, I do think there will be some movement for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who knew Peterson would be among the first behind that flurry of activity?<\/p>\n

By agreeing to a trade<\/u><\/a> Thursday morning that sends LaMelo Ball<\/u><\/a> and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Hornets are essentially undergoing a reset that will likely result in keeping the NBA\u2019s longest playoff drought intact for at least one more year.<\/p>\n

Save for Naz Reid, who is expected to add some needed physicality to the roster, the Hornets are banking on arming themselves with draft capital they believe will assist them in future transactions.<\/p>\n

Charlotte received a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, first-round pick swaps from 2028-30 and second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033 in the deal \u2014 a haul of assets that\u2019s undoubtedly better than what the Dallas Mavericks got for sending Luka Don\u010di\u0107 to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Hornets also received a trade exception of $40.7 million, the largest in league history.<\/p>\n

Easily, it was the best offer the Hornets received for Ball, who was also on the radar of the Toronto Raptors and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was a very good return,\u201d said a high-ranking official on a team in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019ll be fascinating to see how it works out on both ends.<\/p>\n

From Minnesota\u2019s perspective, can two players who are ball-dominant flourish together? Ball can obviously play off the ball and be a shooter.<\/p>\n

However, he\u2019s at his best when he is sizing up the defense with the dribble. It\u2019s going to be an adjustment for Ball teaming up with Anthony Edwards and that transition certainly won\u2019t be seamless or immediate.<\/p>\n

Questions are already surfacing about the effectiveness of the tandem.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo idea,\u201d the executive said when asked what the Timberwolves were thinking in acquiring Ball, putting him alongside Edwards.<\/p>\n

Read more Man in viral uptown horse video loses civil case over \u2018blinded\u2019 horse, faces new charges<\/a><\/p>\n

The Hornets shipped off one of the most popular players in franchise history, banking on the draft capital and a chance to smartly divvy up the salary cap space they created. Ball, who\u2019s eligible for a contract extension this summer, is scheduled to earn $40.7 million in 2026-27. After that, he still has two seasons remaining on the five-year, $208.3 million max deal he inked with the Hornets in 2023.<\/p>\n

If Ball doesn\u2019t sign an extension, he\u2019d become an unrestricted free agent leading into 2029-30 and be eligible for a salary of roughly $67.9 million in that first season. That\u2019s a lot of dough and obviously a path the Hornets weren\u2019t willing to cross.<\/p>\n

Charlotte\u2019s ownership, led by Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, built up a lot of cachet among the fanbase over the past three years since transitioning into power, and the last thing the Hornets want to do is alienate that trust. And they know it, which is why the importance of explaining the moves can\u2019t be understated.<\/p>\n

Until the deal is official, which won\u2019t happen until after the NBA moratorium ends at 12:01 p.m. ET on July 6, the Hornets can\u2019t comment publicly because of tampering rules. So, during a pre-planned media session Thursday at a local food pantry, The Observer asked Schnall and Plotkin about making difficult roster moves in general and the necessity of keeping the fans\u2019 faith in the right place.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to become the premier franchise and build a championship-caliber organization,\u201d Plotkin said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s our goal. Every decision we make is ultimately to get there and to create that opportunity over the long term. We have to prove that to our fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have established a real track record of that, and we will continue to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hornets likely aren\u2019t finished wheeling and dealing. League sources have suggested Miles Bridges, who\u2019s entering the final season of his four-year, $75 million contract, is also available for the right offer.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect a big splash otherwise, though.<\/p>\n

Jaylen Brown, from all indications, isn\u2019t bound for Charlotte. The 2024 Finals MVP surely prefers a team with a playoff-ready roster and that current timeline of the Boston Celtics\u2019 star doesn\u2019t match up with the Hornets after sending Ball to the Midwest.<\/p>\n

Plus, harkening back to that chat with Peterson in the spring, he doesn\u2019t believe in giving up a bevy of assets unless absolutely necessary for the right addition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just kind of depends on which team you\u2019re dealing with or whatnot, what the market is,\u201d Peterson said then. \u201cI certainly don\u2019t want to be in the business of overpaying for a player at this point. There could be a point where you have to do that. But it\u2019s not an exact science.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re certainly going to get something wrong. But you\u2019ve got to be pretty sure, the confidence interval has to be high if you\u2019re going to put all your chips in and go to the player. I think we\u2019ve seen plenty of examples, whether right or wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Bank of America community roundtable highlights sales tax increase, small business struggles<\/a><\/p>\n

And only time will truly tell which side shedding Ball falls on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s unlikely Charlotte Hornets bring in Jaylen Brown after agreeing to trade LaMelo Ball to Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday for Naz Reid and draft picks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nLaMelo Ball\u2019s time is up; the Hornets are resetting. 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