Lonzo Ball Mock Trade: Bringing Charlotte Hornets LaMelo's Brother, Key Backup

The Charlotte Hornets are likely always going to be linked to Lonzo Ball whenever possible. The perennial (it seems) trade candidate would be a good fit and would probably love to play alongside his brother, LaMelo Ball.

For once, it's officially trade season, and the Hornets should not be as worried about squeezing assets out of a mediocre roster. They probably don't need to be considering buying big at the deadline, but they can think more in terms of additions than subtractions.

Despite the addition and solid play of Collin Sexton, backup guard continues to be a point of need for the Hornets, and Ball would fill that need tremendously. He'd be a great defender and playmaker off the bench.

The Hornets are expected to be a potential suitor for Lonzo Ball.

The brothers have dreamed of playing together, and the Hornets’ recent success could benefit from adding the skilled veteran point guard who’s currently on the trade market.

The Ball Bros in Buzz City would… pic.twitter.com/COqBXjUHZf
— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) February 2, 2026

What would it cost, though? Ball is not at all having a good year, so his cost has probably gone down. Last offseason, when Ball's value was probably a bit higher, he was traded for the low cost of just Isaac Okoro.

Ball is averaging 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in almost 21 minutes. He's shooting 30.1% from the field, so the Hornets could almost certainly add him for virtually nothing. The Cleveland Cavaliers probably don't want Pat Connaughton, but a simple swap of the two works financially.

Plus, it gives the Cavs an expiring contract to work with, which may be more ideal than Ball with his $10 million year remaining after this one. Connaughton is averaging 2.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists, but he's playing seven minutes a game.

He's also shooting 48.9% from the field. If we extrapolate Connaughton's stats to 21 minutes, which is roughly what Ball is playing, he is averaging 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, so he might be a better player right now than Ball.

This gives the Hornets a backup point guard to go along with Sexton. They could also then flip Sexton, who is much more valuable than either Ball or Connaughton, for assets if they want without hurting the guard depth.

The Cavaliers move on from a dud acquisition and probably improve slightly all while getting an expiring contract, so it's a bit of a win for both sides.

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