The Charlotte Hornets have seemingly found a gem in rookie Kon Knueppel, whose averaging nearly 20 points per game while burying over 40 percent of his threes this season, but they also have another dynamic, young player in LaMelo Ball.
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Ball over his six-year NBA career, but he continues to show that he’s capable of stuffing the stat sheet, producing highlight-reel plays, and making a real impact on the outcome of games.
Still, there’s been some discussion about which of these young studs is the one who’s going to lead the Hornets out of their never-ending rebuild.
The Charlotte Hornets reportedly now view Kon Knueppel as the new face of the franchise, per @MikeAScotto pic.twitter.com/RhPX60ANy2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 15, 2025
Could Knueppel’s arrival impact the Hornets’ willingness to hang onto Ball?
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LaMelo Ball Traded to Los Angeles Clippers: Prediction Reaction
While the Hornets are facing a small identity crisis, if you can even call it that, the Los Angeles Clippers are having to answer far bigger questions.
The roster is aging, the results haven’t met expectations, and there isn’t much of a clear path forward.
Zach Buckley has pitched an idea that would inject some youth and upside into the Clippers’ lineup. He’s predicted that Los Angeles will send John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cam Christie, and a 2030 first-round pick to Charlotte for Ball.
“Granted, the Hornets aren’t getting much else here—Christie hasn’t shown much in limited looks; Collins’ numbers often oversell his impact; Bogdanović has his own difficulties staying upright—but maybe they don’t need it. A prime first-round pick and the chance to build around Brandon Miller and No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel could certainly prove more fruitful than the Ball era has been,” wrote Buckley.
Should The Clippers Trade For LaMelo Ball?
Plenty of fans and analysts across the NBA are of the belief that the Clippers could make a last-ditch effort at the deadline to save the season and extend their championship window, if it ever even existed.
That line of thinking makes sense, as the Clippers don’t really have many options, but for the most part, I believe that the Clippers should be selling, taking whatever they can get for the veterans on their roster and looking toward the future.
However, this is a deal that they should actually entertain.
Given the question marks surrounding Ball, the price tag is reasonable, and the upside case is clear. He’d bring real playmaking a scoring abilities to the backcourt, and given his age, he’s a piece that can carry the Clippers into the future if he can find a level of consistency in Los Angeles.
As Buckley notes, the Clippers really aren’t giving too much outside of the pick. And if they can find their footing in the coming years while building around Ball, that 2030 first-rounder may not hold much value when it’s put into play.
Doubling down is risky, but in my eyes, the risk matches the reward in this case, and I would make this trade if I were in the Clippers’ shoes.
LaMelo Ball Stats
It hasn’t been a career year for Ball in the scoring department, but he’s been heating up as of late, and he still makes a real impact when he’s on the floor.
2025-26 Stats:
20 GP
28.3 MPG
19.6 PPG
8.7 APG
5.4 RPG
40.3 FG%
33.9 3P%