<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/nba-rumors-hornets-collin-sexton-trade-comes-chris-paul-revelation');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Hornets’ Collin Sexton trade comes after Chris Paul revelation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Collin-Sexton-and-Chris-Paul.jpg"><figcaption>Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Hornets’ Collin Sexton trade comes after Chris Paul revelation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T13:02:49-07:00">June 29th, 1:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T13:02:49-07:00">June 29th, 1:02pm</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets continued their offseason activity by orchestrating another trade, this time <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/hornets-news-charlotte-acquires-collin-sexton-jazz-jusuf-nurkic">acquiring combo guard Collin Sexton from the Utah Jazz</a>. While the trade came as a surprise, further reports suggest that the move occurred after the team realized they would be out of the running for veteran free agent Chris Paul.</p><p>The Hornets were one of several teams interested in Paul, but believe the 40-year-old <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/chris-pauls-looming-free-agency-with?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167117215&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">wants to sign with a West Coast team</a> in free agency, according to Mark Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Charlotte remains interested in adding a quality backup point guard, but acquired Sexton to further its backcourt depth.</p><p>“The Stein Line has likewise learned that the Charlotte Hornets also planned to make a run at Paul — who grew up in North Carolina — but have all but conceded internally that the former Wake Forest star will almost certainly decide to stay on the West Coast if he returns for a 21st NBA season,” Stein and Fischer reported. “Charlotte is known to be pursuing veteran ball handlers to back up All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball and is perceived to be one of the potential landing spots for Cleveland’s Ty Jerome.”</p><p>Paul averaged a career-low 8.8 points, but a stellar 7.4 assists in just 28 minutes per game in 2024-2025. Perhaps most impressively, he started all 82 games for just the second time in his 20-year-long career.</p><p>Sexton, 26, provides much more scoring but less facilitating than Paul. The former lottery pick put up 18.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 2024-2025.</p><h2><b>Collin Sexton trade adds to Hornets’ loaded backcourt</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Collin-Sexton.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Coming off another disappointing, injury-riddled season, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-charlotte-targeting-move-lamelo-bell-love">Hornets are reportedly entering free agency with a focus</a> on adding guard depth. However, they continue to address that issue before the official window opens.</p><p>Sexton is the fourth guard Charlotte has added early in the offseason. The team’s previous deal, which <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/suns-news-phoenix-trades-for-mark-williams-drafts-khaman-maluach-moments-apart">sent Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns</a>, brought Vasilije Micic back to the organization. The Hornets also notably added Kon Knueppel and Sion James in the 2025 NBA Draft.</p><p>The slew of incoming guards turned heads, considering the team’s two best players — LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller — already run the backcourt. By trading Williams and Jusuf Nurkic, Charlotte is also noticeably thin up front. The Hornets have yet to add a true backup point guard, but their free agency might now be more focused on replacing their lost big men.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Hornets’ Collin Sexton trade comes after Chris Paul revelation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-charlotte-targeting-move-lamelo-bell-love');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: Charlotte targeting move LaMelo Ball will love');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Kinser-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: Charlotte targeting move LaMelo Ball will love</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T09:35:12-07:00">June 29th, 9:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T15:34:59-07:00">June 29th, 3:34pm</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/thunders-championship-rebuild-inspire-hornets">Charlotte Hornets are still rebuilding</a> but looking to be active in the 2025 NBA free agency period. While still building around star point guard LaMelo Ball, the Hornets are reportedly looking to add another veteran ball handler in the offseason.</p><p>While the Hornets do not have a ton of cap space, they plan to use the space they have <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/more-of-the-nba-free-agency-and-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167070775&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">on a veteran backup point guard</a>, per NBA insider Jake Fischer on The Stein Line. Charlotte potentially has a void at the position with Tre Mann hitting unrestricted free agency once the window officially opens.</p><p>“In addition to teams like Sacramento, Dallas and the LA Clippers, whose needs at that position have been a daily talking point, league sources say Charlotte has been searching for veteran ball handlers to back up LaMelo Ball,” Fischer wrote.</p><p>The Hornets desperately need backcourt depth in the 2025-2026 season, as their current rotation has been constantly plagued by injuries. Ball, in particular, has not played more than 47 games since the 2021-2022 season.</p><p>Without re-signing Mann, the Hornets’ current best bet is budding third-year guard Nick Smith Jr. Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, started 27 games in 2024-2025 and averaged a career-high 9.9 points and 2.4 assists per game.</p><p>Chris Paul, Elfrid Payton, Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder and Tyus Jones headline the list of available options. However, as Fischer noted, the Hornets are not the only team that will be attacking the point guard market once free agency begins.</p><h2><b>Hornets’ ongoing injury issues</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LaMelo-Ball-of-the-Charlotte-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the Hornets have not had much luck lately, health has become an increasingly concerning issue. Charlotte had just five players — Smith, Miles Bridges, Seth Curry, Josh Green, Moussa Diabate and Tidjane Salaun — who played more than 60 games in 2024-2025.</p><p>The Hornets’ top three stars — Ball, Bridges and Brandon Miller — have all struggled with injuries since Miller joined the team in 2023. Ball and Miller, the team’s two leading scorers, have played just 23 games together since the latter joined the roster two years ago.</p><p>With injuries becoming a growing concern within the franchise, the Hornets have prioritized depth ahead of the 2025-2026 season. Charlotte took Duke guard Kon Knueppel with its first-round draft pick, while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/suns-news-phoenix-trades-for-mark-williams-drafts-khaman-maluach-moments-apart">trading Mark Williams for Vasilije Micic and Liam McNeeley</a>. Micic averaged 6.2 assists in 30 games with the Hornets in 2023-2024.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: Charlotte targeting move LaMelo Ball will love

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-ty-jerome-suitors-expected-cavs-exit');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Ty Jerome suitors lining up amid expected Cavs exit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ty-Jerome.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Ty Jerome suitors lining up amid expected Cavs exit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T08:15:26-07:00">June 29th, 8:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T08:15:26-07:00">June 29th, 8:15am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>This NBA free agency cycle doesn’t have the stars that it sometimes does, but there are still plenty of quality players who can make an impact in a playoff series that will be hitting the open market. Ty Jerome, who played some of the best basketball of his career at the end of the 2024-25 regular season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is one of the names on that list.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/ranking-3-best-ty-jerome-free-agency-destinations-leaves-cavaliers">Jerome is hitting the open market</a> as an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he should have a pretty solid market for his services. However, the Cavs likely don’t have any room for him on the roster or in the rotation for him after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cavs-news-acquiring-lonzo-ball-trade-bulls">trading for Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls</a>.</p><p>However, there will be plenty of teams that would love to have Jerome’s size and shooting ability in the backcourt off the bench. The Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets are four <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-latest-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-nba-free-agency-intel">teams that could make a run</a> at the Virginia product, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.</p><p>“After trading for Ball, it looks increasingly unlikely that the Cleveland Cavaliers Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome will return in free agency,” Siegel wrote. “Plenty of teams will hold interest in potentially signing Jerome using their full mid-level exception in free agency. Keep an eye on teams like the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and Sacramento Kings as potential landing spots for Jerome. These four teams have a key need for backcourt depth.”</p><p>The Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies are <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-lots-more-of-the-latest" rel="noopener">two teams that are also interested</a> in Jerome, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.</p><p>“Charlotte and Memphis are two teams that keep coming up as likely suitors for Ty Jerome, who is now regarded as a lock to leave Cleveland to find the deal he is known to be seeking that starts at (or at worst adjacent) to the full $14.1 million midlevel exception,” Stein wrote.</p><p>Zach Lowe also mentioned the Golden State Warriors as a potential landing spot for Jerome after he played one season there in 2022-23.</p><p>Jerome struggled at times in the Cavs’ second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs, but he was being a bit overtasked due to the injuries in Cleveland, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/darius-garland-toe-surgery-announced-amid-cavs-trade-rumors">particularly to Darius Garland’s toe.</a> If one of these teams in free agency is able to scale his role back down, he could be a big pickup this offseason.</p><p>The 27-year old played in 70 games this season, scoring a career-high 12.5 points per game while shooting an incredible 43.9% from 3-point range. While it won’t make the biggest headlines, a deal for Jerome is something that could play a major factor over the next few seasons.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Ty Jerome suitors lining up amid expected Cavs exit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-charlotte-labeled-hotspot-for-trade-talks-in-round-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: Charlotte labeled ‘hotspot’ for trade talks in Round 2');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kon-Knueppel-looks-on-after-being-selected-as-the-fourth-pick-by-the-Charlotte-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: Charlotte labeled ‘hotspot’ for trade talks in Round 2</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T08:51:56-07:00">June 26th, 8:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T08:51:56-07:00">June 26th, 8:51am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets enter the second night of the 2025 NBA Draft as a focal point for potential trade activity, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. With back-to-back selections at Nos. 33 and 34 overall, the Hornets are reportedly <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45583425/2025-nba-round-2-mock-draft-best-available-players-picks-predictions" rel="noopener">drawing significant attention</a> from teams exploring deals ahead of Thursday night’s second round.</p><p>Givony labeled Charlotte “a hotspot for trade talks,” citing uncertainty over whether the Hornets are interested in adding additional rookies to a roster that already includes multiple young players. Charlotte opened the draft by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppel-asked-weird-questions-duke-going-no-4">selecting Duke guard Kon Knueppel with the No. 4 overall pick</a>. Later in the night, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-fans-react-to-suns-wild-mark-williams-trade-after-previous-fail">Hornets traded center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns</a> in exchange for the No. 29 pick — used to select UConn forward Liam McNeeley — and a 2029 first-round selection.</p><h2><b>Hornets hold picks 33 and 34 in 2025 NBA Draft as trade buzz builds amid frontcourt needs</b></h2><p>“The Hornets, with pick Nos. 33 and 34, will surely be a hotspot for trade talks throughout the day after adding two first-round picks to their roster in Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley,” Givony wrote. “Already sporting a fairly young roster, it’s not clear what Charlotte’s appetite will be for adding one or two more rookies.”</p><p>With Williams no longer in the frontcourt rotation, Charlotte is believed to be considering size with one of its remaining second-round picks. Givony noted that 7-foot prospects Maxime Raynaud and Ryan Kalkbrenner remain available, while versatile forwards such as Rasheer Fleming and Adou Thiero could also be in play.</p><p>The Hornets’ recent moves signal an ongoing reshaping of the roster under executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson. Whether Charlotte retains both second-round picks or uses them to facilitate a trade remains to be seen, but the team’s activity has drawn league-wide attention.</p><p>The second round of the 2025 NBA Draft resumes Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and will be broadcast live on ESPN.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: Charlotte labeled ‘hotspot’ for trade talks in Round 2

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/nba-rumors-hornets-engaged-in-trade-talks-amid-ace-bailey-draft-dilemma');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Hornets engaged in trade talks amid Ace Bailey draft dilemma');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Hornets-engaged-in-trade-talks-amid-Ace-Bailey-draft-dilemma.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Hornets engaged in trade talks amid Ace Bailey draft dilemma</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T13:12:50-07:00">June 25th, 1:12pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T13:27:51-07:00">June 25th, 1:27pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-5-0-76ers-hornets-ace-bailey-destiny-latest-intel">Charlotte Hornets are engaged in trade discussions surrounding the No. 4 overall pick</a> in the 2025 NBA Draft, with several teams eyeing Rutgers guard Ace Bailey, according to ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel.</p><p>League sources told Siegel that the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans have shown serious interest in acquiring the pick, anticipating Bailey will be available at No. 4. Brooklyn, in particular, has five first-round selections at its disposal to facilitate a potential deal.</p><p>“The Nets, Wizards, and Pelicans are the three teams with serious interest in Bailey, and Brooklyn now has five first-round picks they can use at their disposal in trade talks,” Siegel reported. “Charlotte’s main draft targets — Knueppel, Tre Johnson, and Khaman Maluach — will be available if a trade-down scenario for Jeff Peterson and his front office.”</p><h2><b>Hornets explore trade-down scenarios as Bailey’s stock slips ahead of NBA Draft</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ace-Bailey-2_75bb43.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Bailey, an 18-year-old 6-foot-10 guard, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4873138/ace-bailey" rel="noopener">averaged</a> 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and one steal per game in his lone season at Rutgers. He shot 46% from the field and 34.6% from three-point range across 30 games. Despite his production, his draft stock has reportedly slid due to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-ace-bailey-special-duty-skipping-nba-draft-workouts">canceled workouts and his decision not to meet with certain teams</a> during the pre-draft process.</p><p>Speaking to reporters Wednesday ahead of the draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-draft-news-fans-disbelief-over-ace-bailey-20-pound-transformation-claim">Bailey said he has gained over 20 pounds of muscle</a> since the end of the college season. He was listed at 210 pounds at Rutgers but weighed in at 203 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine in early May.</p><p>Charlotte is reportedly considering multiple options with its pick, including trading down to target other prospects. Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel, both at Duke, and Texas guard Tre Johnson are viewed as potential fits should the Hornets move back in the draft order.</p><p>Executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson is overseeing the Hornets’ strategy as the organization continues to build around young cornerstone players.</p><p>The 2025 NBA Draft begins Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET at Barclays Center and will be televised on ABC and ESPN. The Hornets hold a key position in shaping the top of the draft, with Bailey’s availability potentially triggering a major trade.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Hornets engaged in trade talks amid Ace Bailey draft dilemma

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-interest-in-kon-knueppel-overstated-amid-ace-bailey-trade-buzz');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: Interest in Kon Knueppel ‘overstated’ amid Ace Bailey, trade buzz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dukes-Kon-Knueppel-layup.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: Interest in Kon Knueppel ‘overstated’ amid Ace Bailey, trade buzz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T10:29:49-07:00">June 24th, 10:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T10:29:49-07:00">June 24th, 10:29am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/charlotte-hornets-perfect-outcome-pick-2025-nba-draft">Charlotte Hornets having the fourth overall pick</a> in the NBA Draft, which commences on Wednesday night, there are a few options that have been linked to the team besides the option of them trading out of the spot. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-nba-draft-trade-buzz-heats-up-amid-uncertainty">Duke’s Kon Knueppel has been linked to the Hornets,</a> there shouldn’t be fans who believe he will be a lock for the selection at the spot.</p><p>According to the latest “NBA Draft Big Board” from ClutchPoints’ NBA Insider Brett Siegel, he would say that the interest from Charlotte in Knueppel is “overstated.” Siegel would express that there is some interest in the Blue Devils prospect, but that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-big-board-5-0-76ers-final-ace-bailey-vj-edgecombe-decision">Hornets like the idea of moving down</a> and “gathering future assets.”</p><p>“What about the Hornets? League sources say Charlotte has navigated the pre-draft cycle with multiple smokescreens and that their interest in selecting Kon Knueppel, a popular choice for the fourth pick, has been overstated,” Siegel wrote. “While the Hornets do hold interest in Knueppel, many are downplaying the idea of them taking him so high instead of trading down a few spots and gathering future assets.”</p><h2><b>Hornets are looking at the status of Ace Bailey</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NBA-Draft-prospect-Ace-Bailey-1.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Another player that has been<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/ranking-3-best-ace-bailey-destinations-in-2025-nba-draft"> connected to the Hornets is Rutgers star Ace Bailey</a>, who has been an interesting storyline heading into the NBA Draft. Specifically looking at Charlotte, if the team were to stay at the fourth spot and Bailey is available, that is more likely to be the pick due to the talent at 18 years old.</p><p>“That is why many are beginning to connect the dots of Charlotte potentially taking Bailey despite the 18-year-old’s camp suggesting he wants to play for the Wizards, Pelicans, or Nets,” Siegel wrote. “Many teams don’t care what the draftees necessarily want, and they are going to take the best player available. This could be the line of thinking for the Hornets and executive Jeff Peterson on Wednesday if Bailey were to fall to them.”</p><p>“Of course, the Hornets have also actively been engaged in trade calls with teams inquiring about this fourth pick, which adds another layer of mystery to where Bailey will ultimately end up, assuming the 76ers pass on him,” Siegel continued. “The 2025 NBA Draft starts with the 76ers and how far Bailey falls on the draft board.”</p><p>The Hornets’ draft plans have been wrapped in <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/lots-of-the-latest-nba-draft-intel?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=166155532&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">“uncertainty”</a> as Jake Fischer of The Stein Line said last week, but it will be figured out once the NBA Draft starts on Wednesday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: Interest in Kon Knueppel ‘overstated’ amid Ace Bailey, trade buzz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-charlotte-all-ears-lamelo-ball-other-player-trades');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: Charlotte ‘all ears’ on LaMelo Ball, other player trades');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LaMelo-Ball-of-the-Charlotte-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: Charlotte ‘all ears’ on LaMelo Ball, other player trades</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T12:20:22-07:00">June 23rd, 12:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T12:20:48-07:00">June 23rd, 12:20pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/thunders-championship-rebuild-inspire-hornets">Charlotte Hornets own the No. 4 pick overall</a> in the NBA Draft. Rumors are swirling that the organization is open to making some trades this offseason. However, how available is star point guard LaMelo Ball? With rumors running rampant, it appears ESPN’s Shams Charania believes Charlotte should pull the trigger on any massive offer it receives.</p><p>During a guest appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Charania <a href="https://x.com/ESPNNBA/status/1937208370471038995" rel="noopener">admitted that he has not heard</a> of any trade rumors regarding LaMelo Ball for the Hornets. However, he did admit that if a team were to offer a mega deal to Charlotte for the 23-year-old star, then the organization should highly consider accepting it.</p><p>“If a team calls the Hornets and makes a massive offer … I mean if you’re the Hornets, you have to be all ears at that point.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatMcAfeeShow</a> he has heard no LaMelo Ball trade rumors, but the Hornets should be open to anything 😅 </p><p>"If a team calls the Hornets and makes a massive offer … I mean if you're the Hornets you have to be all ears at that point." <a href="https://t.co/FJ6it3URVk">pic.twitter.com/FJ6it3URVk</a></p><p>— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1937208370471038995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Although Ball may not be available, other players like Mark Williams are rumored to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-how-kevin-durant-trade-saga-impacts-draft-free-agency-rumors">be on the Hornets’ trade block</a>, per insider Brett Siegel. The No. 4 pick could be available depending on what the Philadelphia 76ers do at No. 3. Additionally, Charlotte is said to be in active trade talks regarding Williams. Interest in prospect Jeremiah Fears is also a rumored reason why teams want to trade up to No. 4 with the Hornets.</p><p>“League sources signal the Hornets have actively been engaged in trade conversations with others eyeing the fourth pick in anticipation of the 76ers passing on Bailey. There also seems to be a potential pre-draft war breaking out between the Wizards, Pelicans, and Nets over Jeremiah Fears, who is widely viewed as the second-best guard in the draft behind Harper.</p><p>“While they may hold interest in Bailey, these three teams also have Fears high on their draft boards, sources said. Trading up to the fourth pick with Charlotte would potentially give these organizations a choice between Fears and Bailey, as the Hornets could comfortably move down a few spots and still end up with the player they want. Mark Williams continues to come up in trade discussions around the league, and it seems like a matter of time before the Hornets move him.”</p><p>The NBA Draft kicks off on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST. We may not know exactly what the Hornets do until then, but this organization should remain hot in the rumor mill throughout the offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: Charlotte ‘all ears’ on LaMelo Ball, other player trades

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/nba-rumors-hornets-actively-engaged-in-trade-discussions-before-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Hornets ‘actively engaged’ in trade discussions before NBA Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/NBA-rumors-Hornets-actively-engaged-in-trade-discussions-before-NBA-Draft.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Hornets ‘actively engaged’ in trade discussions before NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T10:46:17-07:00">June 20th, 10:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T10:47:31-07:00">June 20th, 10:47am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 NBA Draft is on Wednesday, and there is a chance we could see multiple trades happen ahead of and during the draft. The Indiana Pacers, who will play Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, have already made a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pacers-news-draft-trade-pelicans-before-nba-finals-game-6">pre-draft trade including the No. 23 pick</a> in the first round. The Charlotte Hornets are a team that could be active in trade discussions as well.</p><p>ClutchPoints’ NBA Insider Brett Siegel <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-how-kevin-durant-trade-saga-impacts-draft-free-agency-rumors">broke down how Kevin Durant is affecting the latest draft news</a> and mentioned former Rutgers star Ace Bailey and how he could potentially fall in the first round. The Charlotte Hornets, who pick fourth, could receive calls for Bailey if the Philadelphia 76ers don’t draft him with their third pick.</p><p>“League sources signal the Hornets have actively been engaged in trade conversations with others eyeing the fourth pick in anticipation of the 76ers passing on Bailey,” Siegel said. “There also seems to be a potential pre-draft war breaking out between the Wizards, Pelicans, and Nets over Jeremiah Fears, who is widely viewed as the second-best guard in the draft behind Harper.”</p><p>Cooper Flagg will be drafted first to the Dallas Mavericks, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-rumors-insider-wouldnt-be-surprised-by-draft-curveball">Dylan Harper should go second overall</a>, whether that is to the San Antonio Spurs or a different team that trades for the pick. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-grades-for-espns-spurs-bucks-proposal">San Antonio could make a major move as well for Giannis Antetokounmpo</a> or Durant.</p><p>Back to the Hornets, a team that is trying to change the direction of the franchise. Their star players are LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams. Williams was almost traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, but a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/inside-failed-lakers-hornets-trade-mark-williams">failed physical sent him back to Charlotte</a>. It is only a matter of time until the Hornets move him, as it seems their relationship is dented. ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel gave his insight.</p><p>“Mark Williams continues to come up in trade discussions around the league, and it seems like a matter of time before the Hornets move him. Many are attempting to connect the dots before the draft with chatter surrounding the Hornets being active in trade discussions, which has led to a hypothesis suggesting Khaman Maluach is Charlotte’s main target inside the top 10.”</p><p>If the Hornets plan to replace Williams with Maluach, it might be smart to trade down, as he is not a clear-cut Top 5 pick. Getting him with a pick in the 8-12 range could benefit the franchise. They can also get the player they want by trading down, even if it is not for Maluach.</p><p>The Hornets could be involved in multiple trades during or around the draft to trade away Williams and figure out their future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Hornets ‘actively engaged’ in trade discussions before NBA Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-nba-draft-trade-buzz-heats-up-amid-uncertainty');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: NBA Draft trade buzz heats up amid ‘uncertainty’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Kon-K.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: NBA Draft trade buzz heats up amid ‘uncertainty’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-17T10:58:07-07:00">June 17th, 10:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-17T10:58:07-07:00">June 17th, 10:58am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/charlotte-hornets-perfect-outcome-pick-2025-nba-draft">Charlotte Hornets having the No. 4 pick</a> in the upcoming NBA Draft, there seems to be some perplexing nature with what the team will do with the selection come the first night on June 25. As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-insider-speculates-bombshell-trades-build-around-lamelo-ball">Hornets look to build around star LaMelo Ball</a>, it isn’t the player that’s in question at the fourth pick; it is whether the team will stay there.</p><p>In the latest column by Jake Fischer of “The Stein Line,” he reports there is <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/lots-of-the-latest-nba-draft-intel?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=166155532&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">“uncertainty”</a> with what Charlotte will do, along with the Philadelphia 76ers, with its first pick. He would even say that the team has “signaled to rival teams” that they are open to hearing offers for the early pick “until they’re on the clock.”</p><p>“Among the various challenges in pinpointing the order from Nos. 3-8, league sources say, is the uncertainty emanating from Philadelphia and Charlotte,” Fischer wrote. “Sources say that the Sixers and Hornets have signaled to rival teams that they will listen to trade offers until they’re on the clock at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.”</p><p>“The Sixers, as The Stein Line confirmed last week, have also approached San Antonio about moving up one selection, which we can only deduce would be to nab Harper for themselves,” Fischer continued. “My prediction at this point is that Philadelphia ends up staying there and selecting Edgecombe … emphasis on at this point. So much can still happen even though we’re only eight days away.”</p><h2><b>Besides Kon Knueppel, Hornest has an interest in VJ Edgecombe</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/VJ-Edgecombe.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While people wonder who the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-charlotte-vj-edgecombe-favorite-lamelo-ball-nba-draft">favorite is for the Hornets at No. 4</a>, one could look at ClutchPoints’ NBA Insider Brett Siegel and his reporting that states how Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-big-board-4-0-ace-bailey-vj-edgecombe-questions-latest-intel" rel="noopener">have interest from the team</a>. It depends on who gets taken before and who’s left, but Fischer would state that if a prospect like Ace Bailey falls to their selection, teams will be calling.</p><p>“If it plays out that way, any team that still covets Bailey in the upper reaches of the draft would have a clear runway to engage Charlotte at No. 4 with a trade push for the scoring forward so long regarded as an elite prospect,” Fischer wrote.</p><p>“The Jazz, unlike the Sixers and Hornets, have not actively encouraged trade interest from teams further down the draft board, sources say,” Fischer continued. “Utah also appears to be operating in contrast to Washington at No. 6, with some rival teams projecting the Wizards as a potential trade-up candidate to leapfrog the Jazz … and maybe even the Hornets.”</p><p>It remains to be seen what happens, but Charlotte will no doubt have an interesting night on June 25.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: NBA Draft trade buzz heats up amid ‘uncertainty’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-espn-nba-mock-draft-creates-lamelo-ball-dylan-harper-backcourt');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: ESPN NBA Mock Draft creates LaMelo Ball-Dylan Harper backcourt');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rutgers-guard-Dylan-Harper.jpg"><figcaption>© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: ESPN NBA Mock Draft creates LaMelo Ball-Dylan Harper backcourt</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-10T12:46:36-07:00">June 10th, 12:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-10T12:46:36-07:00">June 10th, 12:46pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets secured the fourth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after the lottery. In a class <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-76ers-ace-bailey-third-pick-dilemma">led by Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, and Dylan Harper</a>, experts are curious as to how things will go down on June 25. One ESPN expert put together a mock draft that saw Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson select Harper with the fourth pick, pairing him with former All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball.</p><p>Ball and the Hornets were hampered by injuries last season. They ended with a record of 19-63 after entering the year as one of the league’s more interesting teams. However, Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams all showed flashes throughout the season, making this draft an important one. Charlotte has a talented young core, and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony thinks that Harper’s fit on the team <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45470775/2025-nba-mock-draft-debating-30-round-1-picks-need-value-cooper-flagg" rel="noopener">is a good one</a>.</p><p>“The Hornets would surely love to add Harper’s downhill driving, foul-drawing and strong interior finishing prowess to a big backcourt with a 6-foot-7 LaMelo Ball, who is highly capable of playing alongside another shot creator,” Givony said.</p><p>If they take Harper with the fourth pick in the draft, the Hornets’ backcourt becomes interesting. In Givony’s hypothetical, the Hornets’ starting five would be Ball, Harper, Miller, Miles Bridges, and Williams. If that group can stay on the court, they could make some noise in a wide open Eastern Conference.</p><p>However, a backcourt led by Ball might not be in Charlotte’s long-term plans. There have been rumors that he wants to move to a contending team. His older brother, Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball, wants <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-lonzo-ball-wants-to-see-lamelo-ball-traded-la">the Hornets to trade him to the Los Angeles Clippers</a>.</p><p>Regardless of which way they end up going, Harper is one of the best options at No. 4. Hitting on such a high pick is crucial to a rebuilding team. If the former Rutgers guard can come in and have an impact, Charlotte’s expectations vary wildly.</p><p>Before an offseason that experts expect to be crazy, the Hornets have a big decision to make. Givony believes that Harper is the answer and could lead the team into their future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: ESPN NBA Mock Draft creates LaMelo Ball-Dylan Harper backcourt

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-insider-speculates-bombshell-trades-build-around-lamelo-ball');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: Insider speculates on bombshell Hornets trades to build around LaMelo Ball');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Hornets-duo-LaMelo-Ball-and-Brandon-Miller.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>RUMOR: Insider speculates on bombshell Hornets trades to build around LaMelo Ball</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-02T16:49:22-07:00">June 2nd, 4:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-02T16:50:59-07:00">June 2nd, 4:50pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Charlotte Hornets fans entered the 2024-25 NBA campaign with low expectations but a decent amount of optimism, for they recognized the profusion of promise that permeated the roster. Once again, though, a rash of injuries and offensive deficiencies prevented the franchise from making any worthwhile progress. The squad could not even receive the full privileges of a 19-63 record, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-lottery-winners-losers-after-mavericks-no-1-pick">unable to secure the rights to a phenom</a> at the NBA Draft Lottery.</p><p>Sound familiar? This nauseating dose of deja vu is devastating enough to bring the Hornets to their knees. However, if they can look through the fog, which admittedly extends deep into the Spectrum Center, the front office might be able to devise a viable long-term plan. There is little time to waste, though.</p><p>NBA insider Kevin O’Connor <a href="https://x.com/HornetsReddit/status/1929618991112507816" rel="noopener">outlines a potential blueprint</a> that president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson can draw up and put into action.</p><p>“The Hornets, they’re interesting,” he said on “The Kevin O’Connor Show,” via CharlotteHornets on Reddit. “They have 10 future first-round picks. They have 11 future second-round picks. They have a ton of youth on their team—good youth. They have tradable salaries. LaMelo Ball is a former All-Star. I know he’s always hurt, but he is an All-Star caliber player. He is nearing the prime of his career. They have new owners. They have a new front office. There is incentive.”</p><p>“The Hornets, quietly, to me, if they wanted to trade the #4 pick for your first star and then trade some young guys and a bunch of future picks for your second star, pairing them with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, something could happen in Charlotte if they wanted it to happen.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🎙️ <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinOConnorNBA</a> sees big potential for the Charlotte Hornets to make bold moves. 🤔</p><p>"The Hornets are interesting. They have 10 future first-round picks. They have 11 future second-round picks. They have a ton of youth on their team—good youth. They have tradable salaries.… <a href="https://t.co/y5bAC2OwfH">pic.twitter.com/y5bAC2OwfH</a></p><p>— r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit (@HornetsReddit) <a href="https://twitter.com/HornetsReddit/status/1929618991112507816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How much longer will it take for Hornets to get back on their feet?</b></h2><p>Charlotte has much to consider ahead of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-charlotte-vj-edgecombe-favorite-lamelo-ball-nba-draft">2025 NBA Draft</a>, which gets underway on Wednesday, June 25. It is unclear exactly how the trade market will shake out, but the league is bracing itself for a bonkers offseason. If Peterson wishes to utilize the team’s abundance of assets, he can potentially accelerate the Hornets’ competitive timetable by a sizable degree.</p><p>Ball needs to improve his jump shot, but he is a lethal playmaker. Miller has similar adjustments to make, but he has the length and skill set to evolve into an impactful wing. Those are two solid pieces to work with moving forward, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-brandon-miller-gives-inside-scoop-on-most-important-part-of-injury-rehab">if they can stay healthy</a>, of course — combined to play just 74 games last season. Surrounding them with established talent can help them move closer to their respective potential and give fans a watchable basketball product.</p><p>When considering alternative options, the Hornets may deem it more logical and humane to take a proactive approach this summer. No matter what happens, though, they must move with purpose. The city deserves that much.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Insider speculates on bombshell Hornets trades to build around LaMelo Ball

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-rumors-charlotte-vj-edgecombe-favorite-lamelo-ball-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: The ‘favorite’ at No. 4 to be next LaMelo Ball co-star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LaMelo-Ball-dribbles-the-basketball-during-Knicks-Hornets-game.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: The ‘favorite’ at No. 4 to be next LaMelo Ball co-star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-30T07:52:48-07:00">May 30th, 7:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-30T07:52:48-07:00">May 30th, 7:52am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/hornets-jarrett-allen-trade-idea-after-cavaliers-postseason-failure">Hornets are looking to build around</a> their current core of players. The core — led by LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller — certainly features potential. Charlotte has the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, so <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets-3-best-options-no-4-pick-2025-nba-draft">who will the Hornets select</a>?</p><p>A recent mock draft from Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports has VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/draft/?filter=round%3Aall&amp;view=default&amp;board=0" rel="noopener">landing in</a> Charlotte.</p><p>“Edgecombe had an excellent interview with the Hornets, league sources say,” the mock draft article states. “And while there are no locks he’ll be the pick, plenty of executives believe he’s the favorite if he makes it to the fourth pick.”</p><h2><b>Will Hornets select VJ Edgecombe in 2025 NBA Draft?</b></h2><p>The 19-year-old has indeed been mentioned as a potential top five pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Charlotte was surely hoping to end up with one of the top three selections, but the idea of selecting Edgecombe at No. 4 overall should appeal to them.</p><p>Edgecombe, a 6’5″ guard, averaged 15 points per game on 43.6 percent field goal and 34 percent three-point shooting during the 2024-25 campaign with Baylor basketball. He also recorded 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per outing.</p><p>He is unquestionably ready for the NBA level after just one season in college. The only remaining question is where he will end up in the draft. Nothing is guaranteed and Edgecombe could end up falling out of the top five. That seems fairly unlikely given his current game and high ceiling, though.</p><p>The Hornets could develop a big three around LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and VJ Edgecombe. Charlotte wants to contend sooner rather than later amid a current rebuild, and Edgecombe could help the Hornets take the next step.</p><p>The 2025 NBA Draft will be especially interesting for this Hornets team. VJ Edgecombe is going to be a player to monitor for Hornets fans on Wednesday, June 25.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: The ‘favorite’ at No. 4 to be next LaMelo Ball co-star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-lonzo-ball-isnt-only-1-who-wants-see-lamelo-ball-trade-clippers');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lonzo Ball isn’t only 1 who wants to see LaMelo Ball trade to Clippers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lonzo Ball isn’t only 1 who wants to see LaMelo Ball trade to Clippers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-26T12:41:23-07:00">May 26th, 12:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-26T12:41:23-07:00">May 26th, 12:41pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball has been in the NBA for five seasons now, and he just keeps getting better and better. The only problem is that the Hornets have not been getting better. The Hornets finished with a 19-63 record this year, which was the third-worst in the entire NBA. LaMelo’s brother, Lonzo Ball, recently commented <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-why-lamelo-ball-remains-committed-charlotte-trade-rumors">about LaMelo going to</a> the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason, and former Clipper Lou Williams <a href="https://hoopshype.com/rumor/lou-williams-i-can-see-the-clippers-making-a-play-for-lamelo-ball/" rel="noopener">can see it</a> happening as well.</p><p>LaMelo Ball is an outstanding player, but he doesn’t have enough help on the Hornets. The Clippers are one of the better teams in the Western Conference, and adding a player like Ball could take them to the nevel level.</p><p>“I can see the Clippers making a play for a premier point guard. I know they’ve been in the market for one,” Lou Williams said, according to a report from <i>Hoops Hype.</i> “They’ve been trying to figure out what they’re going to do at that position. And that’s one of the things that’s going to help them. You know, if you can slide James Harden back over to the two, and kind of give them that balance—put him in a position to start being a scoring guard again, as opposed to the facilitator he’s turned into with the Clippers—that may help them.”</p><p>Williams will be paying close attention to the Hornets when the NBA Draft rolls around. The decision that they make during the draft could tell us a lot about what’s to come.</p><p>“On the other side of it, with Charlotte, if they draft another point guard, they’re showing you their hand,” Williams continued. “They’re showing you that they’re possibly going to move in a different direction, depending on where they draft that point guard in this draft. So I can see the Clippers making a play for LaMelo Ball—and him being able to go home and do something special at the crib.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-lonzo-ball-wants-to-see-lamelo-ball-traded-la">Lonzo Ball believes that</a> the LaMelo will go to LA after the Hornets draft Dylan Harper from Rutgers.</p><p>“I lowkey got Dylan Harper going to the Hornets, and I got Melo going to the Clips,” Ball said during an episode of his podcast.</p><p>LaMelo Ball continues to impress with the Hornets as he averaged over 25 points per game this past season. His scoring numbers have gone up every year since he arrived in the NBA. Ball is one of the best players in the league, and watching him with a playoff contender would be exciting.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lonzo Ball isn’t only 1 who wants to see LaMelo Ball trade to Clippers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-why-lamelo-ball-remains-committed-charlotte-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why LaMelo Ball remains committed to Hornets amid trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why LaMelo Ball remains committed to Hornets amid trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-14T12:35:34-07:00">April 14th, 12:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-14T12:35:34-07:00">April 14th, 12:35pm</time><address><a>Jerry Donatien</a>Jerry Donatien has worked for ClutchPoints since 2018. He is currently the company's Charlotte Hornets reporter, and he also does voiceovers on different sports stories. He worked the NBA All-Star weekend in 2019 and 2023, the NCAA woman's tournament, and he interned with Beasley Media group.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Amidst the Charlotte Hornets’ struggles, their franchise player, LaMelo Ball, remains committed to the team. He wants to stick it out with the Hornets for the long haul despite where other NBA fans prefer him to play. Ball’s <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/ballla01/gamelog/2025" rel="noopener">2024-25 campaign</a> season was slowed down by injuries. He played in 47 games before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/why-lamelo-ball-injury-shutdown-leads-questions-hornets-future">shutting it down to have a few procedures done</a>. Many began to speculate where he should play, but it seems like Ball is happy right where he’s at.</p><h2><b>LaMelo Ball’s comments about the Hornets are great news</b></h2><p>When asked during exit interviews about how he feels about the rumors about him being traded, Ball gave a reassuring response that he’s not going anywhere any time soon.</p><p>“I know what I can do. Just being here is amazing. Fans are amazing, living situation is amazing, and everything’s been solid. All that you need to leave, this and that, when you build something it’s never just gonna pop off and be the best thing. You gotta stay there and work it out.”</p><p>Ball signed the five-year rookie max extension for $209 million a season ago, so there’s no sense of urgency to go ring chase in a bigger market. When players are as talented as Ball, it’s expected for them to have winning seasons, compete for playoff spots, and even compete for titles. The Hornets haven’t been able to reach those levels to have those expectations yet, and Ball understands that.</p><h2><b>Ball isn’t fazed by the noise</b></h2><p>LaMelo Ball addressed the rumors on social media about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/nba-rumors-hornets-hold-no-interest-lamelo-ball-offseason-trade">fans wanting him to play in bigger markets or better teams.</a></p><p>“I’m bothered if I don’t eat, if I ain’t got the meal, I’ll call my people, hopefully some food will come. Bother means like stuff throughout the day. Like the dog pisses on the floor or something like that, that bothers me. Little stuff like that. But telling you to go somewhere or do this, nah. It can’t.”</p><p>Ball is clearly unfazed by what everyone has been saying about his timeline with the Hornets. Of course, surprises happen. Luka Doncic’s being dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers could still seem a little surreal to NBA fans, but Ball appears to be focused on helping the Hornets win games and prepare for the following season.</p><h2><b>LaMelo Ball’s health updates</b></h2><p>Aside from addressing rumors, Ball said he’s started training the right way.</p><p>“Health-wise, I’ve already started training the right way, so I’m happy with that. Gonna go see my mom and pops and when I get back, I should be able to work out and do everything for the next season.”</p><p>He also mentioned opting out the rest of the season to get minor procedures on his wrist and ankle was to get back to work for the offseason right away. The Hornets season clearly didn’t go as planned, but it’s a good sign that they’ll have a bulk of their guys ready for training camp without any restrictions.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why LaMelo Ball remains committed to Hornets amid trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/nba-rumors-hornets-hold-no-interest-lamelo-ball-offseason-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Hornets hold ‘no interest’ in LaMelo Ball offseason trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Jeff-Teague-drops-harsh-LaMelo-Ball-losing-basketball-take.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Hornets hold ‘no interest’ in LaMelo Ball offseason trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-14T14:16:58-07:00">March 14th, 2:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-14T14:17:19-07:00">March 14th, 2:17pm</time><address><a>Jerry Donatien</a>Jerry Donatien has worked for ClutchPoints since 2018. He is currently the company's Charlotte Hornets reporter, and he also does voiceovers on different sports stories. He worked the NBA All-Star weekend in 2019 and 2023, the NCAA woman's tournament, and he interned with Beasley Media group.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets aren’t interested in moving on from LaMelo Ball. Despite the reports of Ball wanting to be in a winning situation, per Michael Scotto,  ESPN’s Tim Bontemps sources have declared they have “no interest” <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/44236522/nba-intel-how-7-draft-lottery-teams-jumpstart-their-rebuilds#cha" rel="noopener">in moving on</a> from their franchise player when discussing the Hornets’ future.</p><p>“That raises the obvious question: What about LaMelo Ball,” Bontemps said. “Sources said the Hornets have no interest in moving on from their star guard.”</p><p>With Brandon Miller, Tidjane Salaun, and the lottery pick that they will select in the 2025 NBA Draft, the building blocks are falling into place for the Hornets as they continue to build up the rest of their roster.</p><h2><b>Hornets’ LaMelo Ball is still too valuable to trade</b></h2><p>Ball is averaging a career-high 25.5 points per game on 21.8 attempts from the field. His usage rate and scoring have taken a step up due to the injuries to the roster and the lack of talent around him, but he’s still been one of the few bright spots for a team that is set to miss the postseason for the ninth straight year. He fits today’s ideal fit for what a point guard should look and play like. 6’7, versatile handle, creative finisher, and is a threat from deep.</p><p>It’s hard to find players with that offensive skillset and the Hornets are likely aware of this. Keeping him on the roster with Brandon Miller and the rest of the young assets still screams good potential. For a player of his caliber in the right system, he can flourish. It will take some time in Charlotte, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-further-update-long-term-future-in-charlotte">he’s still too important to give up</a> on this early in his career. He’s still just 23 years old.</p><p>Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson has made interesting deals for assets, which have caught the attention of anonymous scouts around the league. One called Peterson’s moves as the GM “shrewd” as he continues to compile veterans around Charlotte’s young core. With more moves to come, one thing could be certain: <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-future-charlotte">LaMelo Ball is still part of the team’s future</a>.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Hornets hold ‘no interest’ in LaMelo Ball offseason trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/charlotte-hornets/nba-rumors-lamelo-ball-miles-bridges-trade-watch-hornets-struggles-continue');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges on trade watch as Hornets’ struggles continue');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/LaMelo-Ball-Miles-Bridges-on-trade-watch-as-Hornets-struggles-continue.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges on trade watch as Hornets’ struggles continue</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-03T13:06:53-08:00">March 3rd, 1:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T13:06:53-08:00">March 3rd, 1:06pm</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The last time that the Charlotte Hornets played a postseason game was in May 2016. Steve Clifford was in his <i>first tenure </i>as Charlotte’s head coach, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cavaliers-news-ty-lue-untold-lebron-james-nba-finals-story">LeBron James had not yet brought a title to Cleveland</a>, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/warriors-news-kevin-durant-mocks-meme">Kevin Durant had not yet decided that his next chapter</a> would take place with the Golden State Warriors. Nearly nine years later, the Hornets seem further away from returning to the postseason than ever, struggling to a 14-45 record, failing to even compete for a Play-In berth.</p><p>This puts the Charlotte Hornets in a position they should be accustomed to at this point… scrambling to figure out what’s next. Given how unsuccessful this last half of a decade has been, it would wise for this franchise, which has never been further than the 2nd round of the Playoffs, to consider all options. That includes <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-intel-jimmy-butler-trae-young-lamelo-ball-mark-williams-brandon-ingram-kyle-kuzma-raptors-wizards-76ers-mavericks/" rel="noopener">gauging the trade value</a> of lead guard LaMelo Ball.</p><p>“The availability of Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is one of the stars several executives who spoke with HoopsHype will be monitoring on the trade market this summer,” writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “If Charlotte puts Ball on the trade market, the Hornets could kick start a complete tear-down rebuild by trading him and clearing his maximum salary off the books long-term while adding cheaper young talent and several future first-round draft picks.”</p><p>LaMelo Ball’s injury-plagued career has been limited to 221 games in which the Hornets have gone 95-126 with no postseason appearances. He’s proven to be wildly popular among kids who don’t sit down and watch full NBA games, but for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-miles-bridges-hook-up-for-highlight-dunk">every highlight reel play he’s made</a>, he’s bricked at least one ill-advised three-pointer.</p><p>You can point to Ball’s 26 points and 7 assists per game and say he deserved to be an All-Star. But don’t ignore these numbers: the Hornets are 29th in offensive rating during the 2024-25 season, and have been bottom three in the league in that category in each of the last three seasons. LaMelo Ball has a resume that screams, “Good stats, bad team,” and as more time goes by, it seems as if that is going to be his basketball destiny. Not ideal for a guy picked 3rd in the NBA Draft.</p><p>Ball isn’t the only member of the Hornets that Scotto mentions as a possible offseason trade candidate. Miles Bridges has two years left on his existing deal, and his cap hit isn’t too much of an issue. Domestic violence charges put a damper — and a one season pause — on what at one time looked to be a tremendously promising NBA career.</p><p>Bridges has been a 20 point per game scorer each of his last three seasons, but on just 43 percent shooting during the 2024-25 season, how far are you getting if you’re relying on him <i>too much</i>?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges on trade watch as Hornets’ struggles continue

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-expect-huge-diet-mark-williams-revenge-game-lakers');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Expect ‘huge diet’ in Mark Williams revenge game vs. Lakers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-rumors-Expect-huge-diet-in-Mark-Williams-revenge-game-vs.-Lakers.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Expect ‘huge diet’ in Mark Williams revenge game vs. Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-19T16:36:51-08:00">February 19th, 4:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-19T16:36:51-08:00">February 19th, 4:36pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets will kick off the post-All-Star break NBA season on Wednesday night in a game that was rescheduled after the Los Angeles fires in January. The two will square off in a standalone game in Los Angeles before heading out on back-to-backs on Thursday night.</p><p>Of course, the matchup is much funnier now on paper after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hornets-news-charlotte-protest-mark-williams-dalton-knecht-trade">failed Mark Williams-Dalton Knecht trade</a> between the two teams. It seemed for a few days like the Lakers had found their center of the future, but issues with Williams’ physical forced them to call the deal off. Now, everybody will get a chance for revenge when the two teams take the court on Wednesday night.</p><p>Surely nobody wants to get some revenge and have a big game more than Williams, who probably feels somewhat unwanted by both teams involved here. He <a href="https://x.com/ESPNNBA/status/1892307271994007763" rel="noopener">may get plenty of chances</a> for a monster night, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"A Mark Williams revenge game? I never thought I'd say those words." 👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WindhorstESPN</a> says the Hornets are "upset" with the Lakers for rescinding the trade and to expect a "huge diet" of Mark Williams in Lakers-Hornets tonight 😳 <a href="https://t.co/WAscP2EPTs">pic.twitter.com/WAscP2EPTs</a></p><p>— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1892307271994007763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Considering how upset the Hornets organization was, considering that Mark Williams went all the way to Los Angeles, got the physical and was sent back home saying ‘We think you’re damaged goods,’ I think you’re gonna see a huge diet of Mark Williams going at the Lakers tonight,” Windhorst said on Wednesday’s <i>NBA Today.</i></p><p>The Lakers are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/lakers-news-rich-paul-claims-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade-would-not-have-happened-if-he-knew-about-it">very thin on the front line after trading Anthony Davis</a> and failing to acquire a starting-caliber center to replace him, so Williams should have plenty of chances to get some buckets anyway. If the Hornets are keyed in on getting him the ball, he could be in for a big night.</p><p>While Williams isn’t known as a traditional scorer and doesn’t do a ton of damage from outside the paint, he still has shown the ability to rack up the points at times this season. He has scored 20 or more points six times in 23 games this season, so he can get going if the Lakers give him the chance.</p><p>This is Williams’ first game since the trade fiasco and will be his first outing in total since Feb. 5, so there may be some rust for him to shake off. If he can settle in, he could be in for a big night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Expect ‘huge diet’ in Mark Williams revenge game vs. Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-lakers-nuggets-eyeing-trade-key-hornets-wing');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lakers, Nuggets eyeing trade for key Hornets wing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Lakers-Nuggets-eyeing-trade-for-key-Hornets-wing.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lakers, Nuggets eyeing trade for key Hornets wing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-04T16:41:00-08:00">February 4th, 4:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-04T16:49:15-08:00">February 4th, 4:49pm</time><address><a>Derek Hryn</a>Derek Hryn is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints specializing in NFL and NCAA Football coverage. Derek was previously a fantasy football expert at DK and SB Nation, and he has been featured at FanSided, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-hornets-make-trade-amid-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-swap-aftermath">Charlotte Hornets might be taking some huge swings</a> at the NBA trade deadline in an effort to improve their roster for the rest of the 2024-25 season. One player who has drawn interest from opposing franchises has been sixth-year forward Cody Martin.</p><p>Ahead of Thursday’s 3 PM ET deadline, one of the latest developments involves the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets, both of whom <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-intel-lonzo-ball-nikola-vucevic-brandon-ingram-trade-talks-lakers-warriors-knicks-etc/?utm_content=buffer33cbd&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer" rel="noopener">are reportedly interested</a> in acquiring the Hornets veteran, league sources told HoopsHype.</p><p>(via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype)</p><p>“Charlotte Hornets swingman Cody Martin has received trade interest from several teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets, league sources told HoopsHype.</p><p>Previously, the Phoenix Suns tried to acquire Martin in a bigger trade that would’ve sent Jusuf Nurkic to the Hornets, as <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-intel-warriors-bucks-suns-hornets-more/" rel="noopener">reported</a> by HoopsHype on January 16th.</p><p>In addition, Martin and future second-round draft picks from Charlotte were discussed in <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/top-nba-trade-candidates-for-the-2024-25-season/" rel="noopener">sign-and-trade discussions</a> for Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Isaac Okorothis summer, which fell through once Okoro agreed to re-sign with Cleveland, league sources told HoopsHype.”</p><p>The Lakers still plan to stir up the market this week, following the groundbreaking trade for Luka Doncic. It appears that their priority is an additional rim protector to quell the pain of losing Anthony Davis as part of the Dallas Mavericks deal. Still, Martin would be a viable wing to free up Rui Hachimura to play more frontcourt minutes.</p><p>As for the Nuggets, they could use Martin as a quality depth option behind Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr.</p><h2><b>Cody Martin’s season with the Hornets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Cody-Martin.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Kinser-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Averaging 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists, Martin is having one of the best seasons of his career. The Hornets are quickly on the fast track to a lost campaign at 12-35, so it’s expected that they will be major sellers on Thursday.</p><p>While a rebuild is not out of the question, the front office will work on finding an additional star or continue to jettison current contracts in order to surround LaMelo Ball with talent.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lakers, Nuggets eyeing trade for key Hornets wing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-spurs-held-lamelo-ball-josh-giddey-trade-interest-before-deaaron-fox');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Spurs held LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey trade interest before De’Aaron Fox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Spurs-held-LaMelo-Ball-Josh-Giddey-trade-interest-before-DeAaron-Fox.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Spurs held LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey trade interest before De’Aaron Fox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-30T18:59:29-08:00">January 30th, 6:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-30T18:59:58-08:00">January 30th, 6:59pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Now that the San Antonio Spurs (20-24) have lost eight of their last 10 games, falling below the NBA Play-In Tournament threshold, it is clear they need a boost. Yes, the Victor Wembanyama-led team has already equaled its win total from each of the last two seasons, but sneaking into the 10th seed in the Western Conference is a realistic goal.</p><p>The organization can improve its immediate and long-term prospects with an active NBA trade deadline. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-kings-decided-make-deaaron-fox-available-trade-talks">De’Aaron Fox is a possible acquisition candidate</a> following the news that the Sacramento Kings are engaging conversations about potentially shipping out the star point guard. He can move the Spurs well ahead of schedule from a competitive standpoint and form a dangerous duo with Wembanyama.</p><p>The front office’s main goal continues to be matching its cornerstone and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-all-star-game-2025-reserves-victor-wembanyama">first-time All-Star</a> with another high-level player. San Antonio inquired about both Trae Young and Darius Garland in the past but did not garner much momentum. There are <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/jake-fischer-latest-trading-deaaron?utm_campaign=email-post&amp;r=39f60&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">two other young talents who have been linked</a> to the team.</p><p>“Another name that’s always lingered as a potential franchise point guard of Spurs interest: Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball,” Jake Fischer reported on The Stein Line. “The Hornets have never welcomed trade inquiries for their eccentric ball handler. And yet the Spurs, sources said, have tried to register their interest in Ball during previous transaction cycles. Chicago’s Josh Giddey has likewise been a young guard that San Antonio has envisioned possibly pairing with Wembanyama down the road.”</p><h2><b>Spurs appear to be serious about acquiring additional star power</b></h2><p>San Antonio wants to raise its ceiling, and it wants to do so rather quickly. Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson have all shown themselves to be viable pieces at different times, but another undeniable difference-maker can catapult the franchise into meaningful spring basketball games as soon as this year.</p><p>Since neither Ball nor Giddey seem like viable options going into the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, fans are putting all their faith in a De’Aaron Fox blockbuster. They know <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-tough-clippers-loss-could-trigger-changes-san-antonio">the sputtering Spurs</a> are in danger of sliding off the relevance scale and eagerly want some help. The team cannot wait for the shot-callers to complete a big move.</p><p>Swift adjustments are essential, with or without Fox. Desperate to avoid their third three-game losing streak in January, Victor Wembanyama and company host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Spurs held LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey trade interest before De’Aaron Fox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-will-hornets-flip-player-acquired-suns-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Will Hornets flip player they just acquired in Suns trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Will-Hornets-flip-player-they-just-acquired-in-Suns-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Will Hornets flip player they just acquired in Suns trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-20T08:31:21-08:00">January 20th, 8:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-20T08:31:21-08:00">January 20th, 8:31am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets have fallen out of contention for a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference this year, in part thanks to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hornets-news-charlotte-gets-crushing-brandon-miller-injury-update-after-bulls-thriller">injuries to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller</a> and in part thanks to a roster that has been inconsistent for most of the season. After a fairly competitive start to the season, the Hornets are now down to just 10-28 on the season and are 5.5 games out of a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>Asa. result, the Hornets have started to offload some of their key players as they look for expiring contracts and draft capital to continue rebuilding. That process got started when the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-josh-okogie-rick-richards-hornets-trade">Hornets traded center Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns</a> for a collection of assets.</p><p>One of the players that the Hornets got back in the deal is wing Josh Okogie, a defensive ace who doesn’t provide a ton of production on the offensive end. However, teams would still like Okogie’s services on defense and the Hornets may be <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-all-my-nba-trade-season?r=nuq3a&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;triedRedirect=true" rel="noopener">willing to move him</a> again, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>“Charlotte, mind you, might have another move planned with Okogie before the deadline to expand on its Richards return,” Stein wrote.</p><p>Okogie is an interesting fit for a playoff team because he is an inexpensive option on the wing who provides a crucial service that many teams are seeking. His ability to guard the perimeter is very valuable and could be a big boost to a team on the defensive end. However, he has become a complete liability on the offensive end of the floor, making it very hard to play him in a playoff series. For that reason, it’s understandable why contenders around the league would be hesitant to bring Okogie in.</p><p>Despite his limitations, Okogie has a chance to provide great depth on the wing to a team in need of help at that position during the regular season, even if it may be tough to find a spot for him in the playoff rotation. The Hornets will be on the hunt for more draft picks, and Okogie could be a valuable trade chip for them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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