NBA analyst deems LaMelo Ball 'most likely' trade candidate, but he's wrong

The Charlotte Hornets have a few trade pieces, but according to Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes, LaMelo Ball is the most likely candidate to be moved. The flashy point guard has struggled and been banged up all season long, and trade rumors have already swirled.

The logic from Hughes here is that the Hornets have struggled with Ball, and he's been a liability in terms of injuries. That has helped them land some assets like Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, who could be the future of this team.

Because of Ball's unreliability and the fact that Knueppel is the current Rookie of the Year, a move would make sense to the analyst. Making Miller, who admittedly has his own injury problems, the centerpiece would be the logical conclusion.

"Perhaps most importantly, whispers about a Ball trade have already surfaced. Jake Fischer shot down the idea of Ball requesting a trade on a B/R live stream shortly after Ball did the same," Hughes wrote. But where there's smoke, there's usually fire.

Nov 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) drives past Chicago Bulls guard Kevin Huerter (13) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

"Still, it's hard to remember the last time chatter like this arose without resurfacing," he added. "Paired with the logical possibility Charlotte would prefer to orient itself around someone else, it's pretty easy to imagine more talk of a move ahead of the February deadline."

However, I don't buy that the Hornets are going to move Ball, at least not now. For one thing, they still want to determine what the Knueppel, Miller, and Ball trio looks like when healthy. They may not have a big sample size by the deadline.

For another, Ball's value is at maybe its lowest. Teams aren't chomping at the bit to get an impact point guard right now, and with the contract, injury issues, and efficiency woes, Ball isn't necessarily high on the teams that do need a guard's priority list.

Maybe Ball's future lies elsewhere, but he's not the most likely candidate among this bunch to be traded. The Hornets know what he means to the team and the fan base, and I'd wager that these players are much more readily available:

Pat Connaughton
Collin Sexton
Miles Bridges
Josh Green
Mason Plumlee

I would be surprised if none of those players were moved and Ball was. I'd even go so far as to say I think the Hornets might be more reticent to move Ball than Tidjane Salaun. Either way, Ball doesn't strike me as an impending trade, at least not more so than Bridges, Green, Sexton, and the rest.

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