Trade Rumors Swirl Around LaMelo Ball and his $168M Contract

It took one month before the first NBA star came up in trade reports.

Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball is open to a trade out of Charlotte, according to a report from Yahoo Sports. The report also indicated that the Hornets are “increasingly hesitant” about Ball as a long-term centerpiece and are also open to trading away the former All-Star.

Ball is in the second year of a five-year, rookie max extension which he signed in 2023. At the time, the deal was worth as much as $260 million after bonuses. The base amount of the contract is $203.9 million, with $168.8 million remaining over four years.

The deal also includes a 15% trade kicker.

About an hour after Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko posted the news on X, Ball quote tweeted him with a clown emoji. On Friday, Ball told media members that the Yahoo report was “false info.”

“You never heard anything from me. The source is not from me. It’s false info. … I love being here,” Ball said. 

NBA insider Jake Fischer, who used to work for Yahoo, called the report “incredibly premature” during a livestream for Bleacher Report.

“I can tell you with absolute certainty that the Hornets are not actively looking to move LaMelo Ball anytime soon,” Fischer said. 

He noted that teams around the league are waiting to see whether Ball or another star point guard like Trae Young or Ja Morant will be made available by their teams for trade some time this season. 

“Yes, rival teams are absolutely believing and preparing for a potential LaMelo Ball trade candidacy before the February 5th trade deadline. But LaMelo Ball is not asking out, to my understanding, and the Hornets are not actively looking to move him by any stretch right now,” Fischer said.

The Hornets are 147–268 (.354) since Ball was drafted with the No. 3 pick in 2020. He’s struggled with injuries throughout his career, and has played in just 240 of a possible 415 games.

In five full seasons with Ball, Charlotte finished above .500 just one time: the 2021–22 season, which was the only time Ball played more than 51 games in a year. 

His injury issues have continued this season, as he’s missed six of 15 games so far. He’s also struggled on the court, shooting a career-low 38.5% from the field and 29.8% from three. 

Despite Ball’s issues, he’s remained one of the most popular players around the league. He’s No. 11 among all NBA players in Instagram followers, ahead of stars like Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, and 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

A change of scenery—especially to a bigger market—could be also positive news for Puma, who signed Ball to a multiyear shoe deal in 2020 worth a reported $100 million.