Jeff Peterson Calls LaMelo Ball Trade 'The Hardest' Decision He's Made

Hornets' president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson weighed options long and hard when deciding whether or not to trade franchise guard LaMelo Ball. It was a tough call, one Peterson admitted was easily the toughest decision he’d been faced with since taking control of the Hornets.

“Look, anytime you're trading a player (of) LaMelo's caliber, it's certainly difficult,” Peterson admitted. “Just everything that he brought, the human being and character and things like that. Yeah, I can't say enough."

In the end, Peterson decided to do it.

At a press conference in Las Vegas on Saturday, he said ultimately it came down to what was best for the team, and what was best was considering what they ultimately wanted in the long term.

“The goal isn't to get to the play-in or even the playoffs for one year,” he explained. “I've said it plenty of times since I've been here in Charlotte. The goal is to get to the playoffs and stay there for a long time, and then, like I said, eventually contend and compete for championships.”

Peterson took about 30 minutes of questions from reporters, both in person and via Zoom, just prior to Charlotte’s second summer league game against the New Orleans Pelicans. There, he admitted the Hornets roster as we knew it might have maxed out in terms of its potential.

"When you look at the totality of the season and everything of where we were, it's important to take an honest look in the mirror," he said.

But now in the immediate post-LaMelo era, a current reflection for Hornets fans might be a little scary. Heck, it’s even possible the team takes a step back next season. If that happens, Peterson urged them to keep the faith.

“Yeah, look, I do empathize with the fans, and I understand just where they're coming from,” he said. “I just wish the fans would hope that they understand that I have the best interests of the Hornets organization.”

Though the team is now loaded with roster flexibility as well as draft selections, Peterson would not give a timetable as to when the next move would be. However, he did say he has plenty of confidence in the current roster going forward.

“Yeah, look, I'm excited about our roster. I think we have a very competitive group, he said. “You know, of course, bringing Coby (White) back and, you know, Brandon (Miller). Kon (Knueppel). I can go down the line. We have some really good players and really good depth.”

Like their president, Peterson says everyone’s hungry to prove last season wasn’t a fluke. He took a risk, and he’s banking on his players to show the world he made the right decision.

“They have a chip on their shoulder, he said. “They want to continue to compete and elevate our organization.”

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