Landing a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is expected to pay dividends for the NBA teams involved, including the Charlotte Hornets.
After a 19-63 finish in the 2024-25 NBA season, the Charlotte Hornets were awarded the No. 4 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
Considering how much the Hornets have struggled over the last few seasons, the fanbase will hope the organization drafts a talented star.
However, at the same time, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins believes that they will make a major trade around the draft.
Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty ImagesKendrick Perkins wants fans to ‘keep an eye’ on Charlotte Hornets trade talks
In light of the blockbuster Desmond Bane to Orlando Magic trade, the NBA rumor mill is full of potential moves for other franchises.
Keeping that in mind, Perkins wants fans to be on the lookout for a potential trade that will help the Hornets move on from LaMelo Ball.
“This is just the start of the trades. I’m hearing the Charlotte Hornets. We might need to keep an eye on them, like, all the way through the draft. They might be moving on from LaMelo Ball,” Perkins said on the Road Trippin’ podcast.
He added: “I’m hearing that. Yeah, they might be moving on from LaMelo Ball. I know it sounds crazy, but this draft, it’s gonna be a lot of trades, a whole lot of trades.”
The offseason brings a wave of excitement for fans each year as many stars are moved to different franchises ahead of the new season.
As for Ball getting traded, it comes as no surprise considering how he has performed for the Hornets over the last five seasons. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst even admitted he has hated watching Ball play.
LaMelo Ball’s biggest problem explained
Being the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, there’s no doubt that Ball is a talented player. However, based on data provided by Sofascore, it’s fair to say LaMelo has underperformed for the Hornets.
For starters, he has played just 231 games out of a possible 410 games during his five-year tenure with the organization. It means he has missed 43.7% of games in his career.
On a positive note, Ball has averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 42.1% from the field and 36.5% from the three-point line for his career.
However, in the last five seasons, the Hornets haven’t advanced to the NBA Playoffs even once. They have also finished with a losing record four out of five times, with the 43-39 record in the 2021-22 season being the only exception.
All things considered, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Hornets give up on Ball this offseason, as the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year may find himself on a new team.
Former NBA star Lou Williams loves the idea of Ball playing for the LA Clippers, so that could be a potential path for the Hornets to explore in the coming weeks.