What a LaMelo Ball blockbuster trade package could look like at the 2026 deadline

What if the Charlotte Hornets decide to trade LaMelo Ball next deadline? If things continue to go the way they have been, the front office that has been so forward-thinking could do what seems now like the unthinkable. What would that look like, though?

Let's assume health for Ball. If he is healthy, teams will want him. And if he's healthy, he will probably be enjoying a good season, at least statistically. With more help, he should have more efficient numbers and better passing stats, so he'll remain highly desirable.

But if the Hornets are trading him in this hypothetical, we can assume that they aren't winning despite the good play from Ball, which would effectively mean that the partnership isn't going to work. Therefore, and some NBA media members would salivate if their long-held beliefs came true, the Hornets would be giving up on Ball early to maximize value.

And in the wide-open Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic project as a sneaky contender. They went all-in with Desmond Bane this offseason, so what's stopping them from really going all-in with a blockbuster at the deadline?

Mar 25, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks to drive past Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

This would be incredibly difficult to pull off. Orlando isn't going to have an easy time salary matching since Ball is costly (roughly $38 million this year), and the Magic are not going to go all-in by parting with expensive players Paolo Banchero, Bane, or Franz Wagner.

But there is a way to get it done. If the Hornets want to throw in Nick Smith Jr. just to get rid of him (assuming he's not traded before then), then the Magic can match salaries with Jonathan Isaac ($15 million), Wendell Carter ($10.8 million), Goga Bitadze ($8.3 million), and Anthony Black ($7.9 million).

Of course, very little of that is enticing to the Hornets. If they're selling Ball, it won't be for a bad return. None of those contracts are expiring, and only Black figures to be someone the Hornets might actually want in return since he's a 22-year-old guard.

The Magic have already depleted their supply of picks, but in order to get the Hornets to take on mediocre or worse players with non-expiring contracts for Ball, they're going to need to go back to the reserves. The 2027 and 2031 picks would probably do it, although that would leave them in possession of just one, so they might balk at the price.

However, in this hypothetical, the Magic have enjoyed a breakout season, and this would give them a core of Ball, Banchero, Wagner, and Bane all locked up for the next three years at minimum. They'd be in a special layer of cap hell, but they'd be one of the best teams in the NBA for those seasons.

The Magic need offense, and they got it with Bane. But they also need playmaking to help those offensive players. Ball would hurt their defense, but he brings a level of facilitating and shooting range that no one else has in Orlando, so they'd benefit greatly from having him to throw lobs to Banchero for four years.

The Hornets would not be in a good spot with the salary cap, either, but if they're trading Ball, then they're not really worried about the immediate next few seasons anyway. Plus, some of those players could be flipped for more assets (and would have to be since Charlotte would be over the roster limit).

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