Charlotte Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball is reportedly open to being traded. Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports writes that Ball "has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade away from the franchise."
For what it's worth, Ball responded on X with a clown emoji. But based on Iko's report, this could be a two-way street in terms of the Hornets' willingness to move on, adding that the "front office is increasingly hesitant about cementing Ball as a long-term foundational piece."
The Portland Trail Blazers shouldn't be considered the favorite to land Ball should he ultimately be traded, but they are quietly an intriguing fit.
The Blazers are a dark horse for LaMelo Ball
At 24 years old, he's a perfect fit for their rebuilding timeline, coming from the same 2020 draft class as rising star Deni Avdija. It's important to note that Blazers assistant GM (and former ESPN NBA draft analyst) Mike Schmitz previously referred to Avdija as the steal of the draft. As a hot take, he also mentioned that Ball would be the best player to come out of this draft. Yes, we keep our receipts (this just randomly popped up on our timeline)!
Credit Schmitz for hitting on the majority of these hot takes. His evaluation of Avdija as a prospect helped Portland steal him from the Washington Wizards. Could history repeat itself with Ball?
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey recently named the Blazers a potential landing spot, as Ball would fit both their short- and long-term goals while elevating their offensive ceiling. The idea of having two jumbo playmakers in the 6-foot-7 Ball and 6-foot-8 Avdija as the primary offensive initiators would give the Blazers a unique roster construction, resulting in a matchup advantage on a nightly basis.
"The Blazers would suddenly have a dynamic one-two punch with Avdija and Ball, both of whom can score, initiate offense, and set up teammates for easy looks," Bailey writes.
What makes LaMelo Ball a sneaky good fit in Portland?
Ball is a polarizing star with questions surrounding whether he can impact winning at a high level. But the reality is, very few stars in the league could save the Hornets roster.
The more significant concern should lie in his injury history. Ball is quietly one of the most injury-prone stars, averaging just 46.2 games played through five seasons. Still, this could be a risk worth taking for Portland.
The offseason additions of Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard should make Portland feel more comfortable in pulling the trigger. As Bailey notes, they can provide valuable mentorship to help Ball reach his superstar ceiling while also offering insurance for his injury history, especially given Holiday's positional versatility.
"They'd also, presumably, still have Jrue Holiday, who has plenty of experience playing alongside ball-dominant wings and guards and could provide some veteran mentorship (along with Damian Lillard) to Ball, who hasn't had a ton of that in Charlotte."
At some point, the Blazers need to add more star power to this roster. They're taking incremental strides each season, but it's heading towards long-term purgatory as they still lack the ceiling required to come out of the stacked Western Conference. Adding someone like Ball is risky, but he's yet to play his best basketball. A change of scenery in a winning environment could be just the thing he needs.