LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams named among NBA's top 10 realistic offseason trade pieces

If the NBA Trade Deadline from earlier this year is any indication, the summer will be full of big moves. The Charlotte Hornets figure to be a big part of that, as they have several plausible trade candidates and a willingness to continue reshaping the roster after another lottery season.

According to Bleacher Report, two of those plausible trade targets are not just plausible from a team perspective. Zach Buckley of B/R believes that Mark Williams and LaMelo Ball are two of the most realistic trade targets in the entire NBA.

Buckley listed Williams as the 10th-most likely, saying, "While no trade deadline deals—or even rumblings—rivaled the internet-breaking Dončić-Anthony Davis blockbuster in shock value, a sleepier trade season might've considered Charlotte's willingness to move building-block big man Mark Williams as a legitimate stunner. And the Hornets weren't merely open to discus deals involving the 15th pick of the 2022 draft; they actually signed off on a trade, only for the Los Angeles Lakers to later back out due to (a conveniently?) failed physical."

It was a shock when the Hornets tried to trade Williams and would have if not for the failed physical fiasco, and league executives expect them to try once again to flip the young big man this summer when the trade window opens again.

Mar 20, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) signals for his three point shot against the New York Knicks during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Buckley also listed Ball as the fifth-most likely trade this offseason, but he admitted that he was testing the limits of the word "realistic." He said, "There's been no indication that the Hornets are hurrying to move their biggest box-office draw, but there are 'several executives' who 'will be monitoring' LaMelo Ball this summer."

He also went on to say that not all teams will want an inefficient scorer who has trouble staying healthy and is on a lucrative extension, but Buckley did note that the teams who are in might be all-in. "The list of players with his blend of size (6'7"), shooting range, passing vision and creativity could be counted on one hand," he argued. "And he's still only 23 years old. He could be labeled as both an established and ascending star."

The Hornets have been adamant that Ball is not for sale, but after another season near the top of the lottery in which Ball had injury issues, many around the league aren't sure that stance will hold forever and that some team might be able to pry him away.

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