NBA insider believes LaMelo Ball can still be good with assets 'you can't teach'

There's been quite a bit of conversation this year around LaMelo Ball's trade value. His creativity with the ball, his age relative to experience, and his limitless range have propped up that value.

On the flip side, his shooting efficiency, injury woes, and contract figures have diminished that value, leaving him in a weird in-between. The Charlotte Hornets are still nine points better when he plays, per Clean the Glass, which would translate to 21 more wins in a season.

Despite all that, he finds himself in a subsection of trade targets that have very little value. There's a big question about Ball, Trae Young, and Ja Morant, and it's whether or not anyone would even want them in a trade. They're talented, but are they worth anything, and will they help an NBA team?

In the case of Morant and Young, they've both been to the playoffs, and they're healthier. Still, ESPN insider Zach Lowe isn't willing to bury the Hornets superstar just yet.

🎙️ @ZachLowe_NBA: "He has the most trade value of the 'does anybody really want these guys?' PGs—Trae Young, Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball—and it's not close."

"I was actually talking to a GM about this today... another guy on 'LaMelo Ball still might be good' island with me." 🏝️ pic.twitter.com/8xtEV5Tkmm
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) December 17, 2025

Lowe disagreed with the idea that there's been no evidence that Ball can be a winning contributor for more than two or three weeks at a time.

He expounded by saying, "I think he has the most trade value of the 'does anybody really want these guys' point guards - Trae Young, Ja Morant, and LaMelo Ball - and it's not close."

Lowe said he had talked with a GM about this, and he said the executive is on the "LaMelo Ball might still be good island" with the analyst.

LaMelo Ball, Trae Youn — Feb 13, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) is guarded by Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

The ESPN insider admitted he's used the word "carnival" when describing Ball more than a few times, but added, "You can't teach the height, you can't teach the vision."

He doesn't like the shooting numbers Ball is posting, and he's less inspired than he was several months ago, but he's not willing to jump ship just yet.

That also seems to be where the Hornets are. This roster was built with Ball's vision and creativity with the ball in mind, so sending him packing would disrupt things.

There's enough talent to survive that, so to speak, but it results in the need for a high-level passer in the draft or free agency, and the latter doesn't have much in that regard.

So for now, the Hornets are probably still on that island with Lowe and the other executive. But if they decide to sail away, Lowe does think the Hornets would do better for their star guard than the Atlanta Hawks or Memphis Grizzlies.

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