Bitter rival pitched as landing spot for LaMelo Ball amid trade rumors

LaMelo Ball said the report that circulated on Thursday that he's "open to a trade" away from the Charlotte Hornets was ridiculous, though not in so many words. The Hornets are also reportedly not shopping him, despite what the initial report said.

However, once something like this gets put out there, it hangs over all parties involved, and with that comes the idea that he might actually be traded. Plenty of teams could use Ball's services, but one of the pitched landing spots would hurt a ton.

Ball hasn't played particularly well against the Miami Heat, one of the Hornets' biggest rivals. He averages 18.3 points, 8.4 assists, and 6.8 rebounds against them, but he's shot less than 40% from the floor in the 16 games he's faced them.

Still, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey believes they are one of four teams that make sense as a landing spot if the Hornets do move on from their superstar. He joked that the Heat gets brought up every time a star is theoretically available, but this time, it actually makes sense, and Ball would "fit pretty well."

Nov 27, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks to shoot as he is defended by Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson (55) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

"They have one of the league's best bigs in Bam Adebayo. And while pairing him with Tyler Herro theoretically gives Miami a strong inside-out duo, the Heat have typically been worse with Herro on the floor in the playoffs," Bailey said.

Regardless of whether or not the Hornets got Herro back in the deal, Bailey thinks adding Ball to lineups with Adebayo would open things up. Ball is not a pass-first player, necessarily, but he's a "pass more often" sort of player.

"Those two could instantly be one of the league's more dangerous pick-and-roll combos, and Miami could make an aggressive offer with picks, plenty of outgoing salary, and a young talent such as Nikola Jović," Bailey said.

It would be a tough pill to swallow, seeing Ball in a Heat uniform. The jury is still out on Charles Lee and his staff, so it's hard to say if he can maximize Ball's talent, but it is a safe assumption that Erik Spoelstra, perhaps the NBA's best coach, certainly can.

Seeing a maximized Ball with better talent and coaching around him several times a year as he terrorizes the Hornets would be nightmare fuel.

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