Charlotte Hornets standout LaMelo Ball is making it very clear that a recent report indicating he could be open to a trade is incorrect.
Ball first reposted the report from Yahoo Sports — which said the 2021 Rookie of the Year has “grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade” — to his X account with a clown emoji attached on Thursday.
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The star point guard then refuted the details of the report when talking to reporters after Charlotte’s Friday practice.
“I love being here,” Ball, 24, said Friday. “I ain’t saying nothing. I’m just trying to win, that’s it. That’s what we’re going to keep doing.”
Ball was the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Hornets. The team hasn’t made the playoffs in his first five seasons and is 4-11 early this season, but did give him the first max contract in franchise history when he signed a five-year, $260 million extension in July 2023 that runs through the 2029-30 season.
Ball returned from an ankle injury last week and is averaging 21.6 points, 9.6 assists (fourth in the NBA if he had played enough games) and 6.9 rebounds over nine games. An All-Star in the 2021-22 season, Ball has averaged 20-plus points each of the last four seasons and has averaged 21.1 points with 7.5 assists over 240 career games with Charlotte.
However, he’s been a bit limited of late by injuries, failing to play in 50 games any of the last three seasons.
