The Hornets have been wandering in the proverbial wilderness of the NBA since, well, forever. Occasionally, they have seen glimpses of the promised land, but those are far and few in between.
Every year, the Charlotte Hornets faithful muster up enough encouragement and false hope for another season, just to be let down by injuries and poor performances. It’s time for a reset in Charlotte, and that starts with trading LaMelo Ball.
The Hornets’ fans and organization have several reasons to be frustrated with LaMelo Ball, and while he is by no means the only reason for Charlotte’s pure mediocracy, he plays a bigger role in it than people expect. There are several reasons why the Hornets’ front office may be looking to move the former Rookie of the Year on from the team.
Reason 1: Injuries, Injuries, Injuries
LaMelo Ball is a phenomenal basketball player… when he is healthy. But healthy and LaMelo Ball do not go together.
In fact, Ball has had 28 injuries during his six years with the Hornets. Most of those were reaggravations of both of his ankle sprains. LaMelo has also had issues with his calf, wrist, hip, and shoulder. The Chino Hills star is frankly running out of body parts to injure.
Ball has missed 182 games of NBA basketball since he was drafted third overall in 2020. That is approximately 2.2 seasons of basketball that the Hornets have been missing their star point guard. Unfortunately, that is just not going to cut it for the long run if the Hornets really want Ball to be the face of the franchise.
Reason 2: Lack of Leadership
LaMelo Ball is quite the personality on and off the court. He tends to have an eye for the spectacular and always gives the media something juicy for them to publish. However, LaMelo just does not have the leadership qualities that are normally found in a star player.
Many fans and NBA insiders have grown frustrated with his seeming lack of seriousness on and off the court. Hornets coach Charles Lee even addressed his star during the 2025 off-season, asking him to take more of a leadership role in the locker room.
Lee claims that he has seen growth from LaMelo, but that must only be behind the scenes because he sure does not appear to be leading on the court or from the bench.
Reason 3: Playstyle
Flashy and inefficient — that’s exactly how LaMelo’s playstyle can be described. When he is healthy and feeling it, he is one of the most thrilling players in the NBA to watch.
But more and more recently, LaMelo has become painful to watch. One-legged step back threes that used to go in now clank off the rim. Reverse layups that used to dazzle the crowd just don’t happen anymore.
Even when LaMelo was putting up All-Star-level numbers, his individual performances rarely translated into team wins. His career plus-minus of -365 can speak to that. Simply put, LaMelo has not been able to turn individual talent into a winning Hornets program.
Final Verdict
Honestly, it would be sad to see LaMelo Ball leave Charlotte. He has provided Buzz City with plenty of highlight reel moments, and it feels like he could be such a special player if the pieces would just align. But zero playoff appearances in five years and constant injuries just are not going to cut it.
Either LaMelo gets healthy and starts maturing while helping the Hornets win some ballgames, or he is going to be traded and leave Hornets fans with a bitter taste in their mouths of what could have been.
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