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Leading up to the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, rumors are swirling around two of the Charlotte Hornets’ top players.
One-time All-Star guard LaMelo Ball is among them, but according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Hornets are still hopeful they can make it work with Ball moving forward, “if only because it makes little sense to trade him now.”
However, a trade involving forward Miles Bridges may be more realistic with Amick noting that he is “drawing significant interest” from teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.
Amick added that “it remains to be seen” if any team is willing to meet the Hornets’ asking price for Bridges. One source said they are looking to get a first-round pick, “maybe two,” in exchange for Bridges.
The Bucks’ attempts to land Bridges have been unsuccessful thus far, reportedly due to the Hornets’ lack of interest in taking Kyle Kuzma back in a potential deal.
Charlotte is 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 17-28 record, and it is trending toward missing the playoffs for a 10th consecutive year.
Neither Ball nor Bridges have ever made the playoffs during their NBA careers, so it may be time for the Hornets to at least consider tearing things down and shipping out some core pieces.
Charlotte selected Ball with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft in hopes that he would be the face of the franchise, and while he has put up some good numbers along the way, it has not translated to winning basketball.
Ball was the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year, and he was named an All-Star for the first and only time the following season.
He went on to average at least 23 points per game in each of the following three seasons, but he didn’t play in more than 47 games in any of those years.
So far this season, Ball has been more durable than in recent years, appearing in 35 of the Hornets’ 45 games. However, his production has taken a bit of a hit, as he is averaging 19.3 points, 7.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers made and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 40.7 percent from the field.
The 24-year-old Ball still has three seasons left on his contract after the 2025-26 campaign, and it is understandable why teams may not be willing to take on that big of a financial commitment.
As for Bridges, he only has one year left on his deal after this season, making his contract far more manageable.
The 27-year-old veteran has been with the Hornets since the start of his career in 2018, and he has long been a consistent contributor. Prior to this season, Bridges delivered three straight seasons in which he averaged 20 or more points per game.
In 44 games this season, Bridges is putting up 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 three-pointers made per contest, while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor.
The Hornets are at a point where it may be wise to primarily build around 2023 No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller and Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Knueppel, as well as another quality rookie in center Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Trading Ball, Bridges or both would place more emphasis on the aforementioned players and open up space to surround them with a different supporting cast.