<!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-wont-pursue-chris-paul-because-why-would-they');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Hornets won’t pursue Chris Paul, because why would they at this point?');   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/2025/12/Los-Angeles-Clippers-guard-Chris-Paul-warms-up.jpg"><figcaption>© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Hornets won’t pursue Chris Paul, because why would they at this point?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T06:57:02-08:00">December 12th, 6:57am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T06:58:54-08:00">December 12th, 6:58am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/colinloughran">Colin Loughran</a>Colin Loughran is a NYC-based Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He has spent several years covering sports and has worked for outlets such as the New York Post, AP Radio, and FanSided. Colin is also a three-time NYSBA award winner and a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-chris-paul-true-feelings-la-release">Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul is still attempting to end his career on a high note</a>, but it does not appear as though the Charlotte Hornets have any interest in the 12-time All-Star.</p><p>According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Hornets are <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/lots-of-the-nbas-latest-trade-talk?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=181361687&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">not expected to cut a trade</a> for Paul.</p><p>“Charlotte is among the teams that had interest in Chris Paul this past offseason when the future Hall of Fame point guard (and North Carolina native) was adamant that he was willing to play no farther away from his Los Angeles-based family than Phoenix,” Stein wrote. “Now?.”</p><p>“A source with knowledge of the Hornets’ thinking said this week that they are not expected to pursue the 40-year-old, but Paul is said to be open-minded about destinations now to go somewhere he can assemble a final chapter with a far happier ending than his second stint as a Clipper featured.”</p><p>This most recent rumor follows the Clippers’ decision to move on from Paul amidst what is expected to be his final NBA season. The 40-year-old becomes eligible to be traded on Monday.</p><p>“As Jake Fischer reported here earlier this week, Paul becomes eligible to be traded Monday and is seen as a strong candidate to be traded sooner rather than later in the wake of the Clippers essentially banishing him from the team on Dec. 3. League sources say that the Clippers want to facilitate a trade as soon as possible to help Paul find a new home.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-chris-paul-timberwolves-rockets-knicks-trade-buzz-heats-up">Paul has already been linked to the New York Knicks,</a> Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets. It remains to be seen which team will make a play for the veteran, but it does not seem as if a hometown return is in the works.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Hornets won’t pursue Chris Paul, because why would they at this point?

<!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-espn-suggests-warriors-trade-draymond-green-jonathan-kuminga-for-anthony-davis-with-lakers-twist');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: ESPN suggests Warriors trade Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga for Anthony Davis, with Lakers twist');   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/2025/11/Austin-Reaves-defends-Anthony-Davis.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: ESPN suggests Warriors trade Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga for Anthony Davis, with Lakers twist</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T09:35:33-08:00">December 11th, 9:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T09:35:33-08:00">December 11th, 9:35am</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>NBA <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/nba-rumors-espn-proposes-5-team-trade-anthony-davis-hawks-trae-young-kings-zach-lavine-to-mavericks-kristaps-porzingis-to-warriors">trade speculation intensified this week</a> after ESPN proposed a four-team hypothetical deal involving the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets — a scenario that would send Anthony Davis to Golden State while routing Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga to Dallas. The concept arrives as all four franchises navigate varying levels of urgency early in the 2025–26 season.</p><p>In the proposal, ESPN’s NBA insiders <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47262180/anthony-davis-trade-guide-five-deals-mavericks-warriors-spurs-pistons-hawks-raptors" rel="noopener">constructed a multiteam framework</a> designed to reshape each roster’s long-term direction.</p><p><i><b>Warriors get:</b></i><br>Anthony Davis<br>Mason Plumlee</p><p><i><b>Mavericks get:</b></i><br>Draymond Green<br>Jonathan Kuminga<br>2026 first-round pick (via Warriors)</p><p><i><b>Lakers get:</b></i><br>Buddy Hield</p><p><i><b>Hornets get:</b></i><br>Maxi Kleber<br>Dalton Knecht<br>Cash considerations (via Lakers)</p><p>They explained the rationale behind the hypothetical structure.</p><h2><b>ESPN’s hypothetical deal explores trade paths for the Warriors, Lakers, Mavs, and Hornets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Draymond-Green-confirms-Jonathan-Kuminga-s-stance-on-Golden-State-return.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“Should the Warriors break up the Green-Stephen Curry pairing for a shot at Davis? Probably not, but if they can’t figure out more consistency when healthy, it’s worth considering because of the massive offensive upgrade Davis would provide.</p><p>Although Golden State continues to play at a high level with Green on the court, he’s shooting 38% from the field, his lowest mark since his rookie season — worse even than 2019-20, when Curry played just five games during what became a gap year.</p><p>Davis would be the rim threat as a roll man the Warriors have long sought. They could also save money this season by structuring this as a multiteam deal, sending Hield to a third team. In this case, he goes to the rival Lakers to supply the shooting threat they need.</p><p>Meanwhile, Charlotte steps in to take on Kleber’s $11 million expiring contract in order to get Knecht after unsuccessfully attempting to acquire him in a rescinded deadline deal for Mark Williams.</p><p>For Dallas, making this deal would essentially be a bet against Golden State finding health and chemistry during the regular season, making the 2026 first-rounder a valuable pick to have. The Mavericks would also create financial flexibility via Kuminga’s team option for the 2026-27 season.”</p><p>Davis is averaging 19.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three across 10 appearances. Green is posting eight points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 blocks per game through six contests. Kuminga is averaging 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 17 games. Hield is contributing eight points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists across 25 games.</p><p>All four teams will continue their regular-season schedule as speculation circulates. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-austin-reaves-weakness-la-fix-prove-rich-paul-wrong">Lakers (17–7) prepare for Sunday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns</a> (14–11) at 8 p.m. ET after their NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-stephen-curry-injury-update-timberwolves-clash">Warriors (13–12) will face the Minnesota Timberwolves</a> (15–9) on Friday at 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV in their first meeting since last season’s second-round series. Dallas (9–16) hosts the Brooklyn Nets (6–17) on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET, while the Hornets meet the Chicago Bulls (9–14) at 7 p.m. ET.</p><p>ESPN’s proposal remains entirely theoretical, but it adds another layer to the league’s early-season trade discourse as front offices evaluate potential pathways ahead of the deadline.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: ESPN suggests Warriors trade Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga for Anthony Davis, with Lakers twist

<!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/sacramento-kings/nba-rumors-stop-all-your-lamelo-ball-to-kings-trade-jokes');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Stop all your LaMelo Ball-to-Kings trade jokes');   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/2025/10/Lamelo-Ball_42e994.jpg"><figcaption>Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Stop all your LaMelo Ball-to-Kings trade jokes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T08:55:09-08:00">December 11th, 8:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T08:55:09-08:00">December 11th, 8:55am</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>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-mourning-is-all-of-us-when-it-comes-to-lamelo-ball-trade-rumors">NBA trade speculation accelerates</a>, one rumor continues to circulate online: a potential LaMelo Ball deal involving the Sacramento Kings. League reporting, however, indicates there is no basis for linking the Charlotte Hornets guard to Sacramento’s plans.</p><p>NBA insider Jake Fischer addressed the topic on the latest episode of Bleacher Report’s Insider Notebook with Jake Fischer, clarifying that Sacramento has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAMVMh9f7KA" rel="noopener">shown no interest in pursuing</a> the former All-Star.</p><p>“I don’t think Sacramento is really interested in LaMelo Ball. I think everything Scott Perry has talked about, both privately and publicly since taking over this team, points to a desire to reestablish a tough, gritty identity,” Fischer said.</p><p>He also cited how Ball is viewed in some league circles.</p><p>“Someone I spoke with on the phone this morning — a prominent NBA figure — called LaMelo Ball ‘the most unserious player in the NBA.’ That’s not my opinion — that was a quote from someone inside the league. I don’t think Sacramento would view LaMelo as someone to really reinvigorate their culture around,” he said.</p><h2><b>Kings’ guard-heavy roster and culture shift leave no room for LaMelo Ball pursuit</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sacramento’s roster construction further undercuts any notion of a Ball pursuit. The Kings already carry significant guard depth, featuring Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, Keon Ellis, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan, and Devin Carter among a group that totals 10 guards. The organization has spent the season emphasizing defensive size, physicality and versatility — areas that do not align with adding another high-usage playmaker.</p><p>Ball, 24, remains a core figure in Charlotte’s long-term outlook despite team struggles. He is averaging 19.4 points, 8.5 assists, six rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting career-lows of 38.6% from the field and 28.5% from three. He has appeared in 16 games this season while logging 28.9 minutes per contest.</p><p>Both franchises continue forward with their schedules. The Hornets (7–17) face the Chicago Bulls (9–14) on Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-zach-lavine-out-thumb-injury-sacramento-upset-nuggets">Kings (6–18) return home to host the Denver Nuggets</a> (17–6) on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.</p><p>Despite ongoing league-wide rumor activity, indications remain unchanged: Sacramento is not expected to explore a trade for LaMelo Ball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Stop all your LaMelo Ball-to-Kings trade jokes

<!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-mourning-is-all-of-us-when-it-comes-to-lamelo-ball-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Alonzo Mourning is all of us when it comes to LaMelo Ball trade rumors from the Hornets');   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/2025/12/Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Alonzo Mourning is all of us when it comes to LaMelo Ball trade rumors from the Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-04T12:09:57-08:00">December 4th, 12:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-04T12:09:57-08:00">December 4th, 12:09pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 season has been awful for the Charlotte Hornets. They are 6-16 and do not have much hope of turning things around this season. The rough start has led to a lot of trade speculation about LaMelo Ball and who might be interested in trading for him. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-open-to-trade-amid-rumored-frustration" rel="noopener">Those rumors will persist for the Hornets until the trade deadline</a>, unless they somehow turn their season around.</p><p>Former Charlotte Hornet and Miami Heat center, Alonzo Mourning, talked all things basketball in an exclusive interview with “Videogamer.” In the interview, Mourning mainly spoke about the Miami Heat, as he is the Vice President of Player Programs and Development. However, he also talked about his old team, the Hornets, and when asked about Ball, <a href="https://www.videogamer.com/news/alonzo-mourning-exclusive-nba-jam-heat-lebron/" rel="noopener">he said he has no idea what will happen with him</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Alonzo Mourning is all of us when it comes to LaMelo Ball trade rumors from the Hornets

<!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-lamelo-ball-trade-buzz-cold-water-dumped');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball trade buzz gets more cold water dumped on it');   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/2025/11/IMG_0338.jpeg"><figcaption>Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball trade buzz gets more cold water dumped on it</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-23T08:35:29-08:00">November 23rd, 8:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-23T08:35:29-08:00">November 23rd, 8:35am</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When it comes to NBA trade rumors, there was a bit of a buzz caused this past week when a report came out that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-open-to-trade-amid-rumored-frustration">Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball might be open to a trade</a> amid the team’s poor start to the season. Following the report, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-fires-back-at-reports-frustration-with-1-emoji">Ball took to social media to essentially deem the report as false</a>. And over the weekend, new information seemed to suggest that any trade rumors involving the Hornets’ star guard <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-the-pieces-of-this-seasons?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=179678288&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">don’t have much merit</a>, as of now, as per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.</p><p>Although Fischer acknowledges that potential LaMelo Ball trade talks could ultimately heat up as it gets closer to the trade deadline, there isn’t much there presently.</p><p>“By Thursday afternoon, I’d heard enough from rival team executives curious about the availability of LaMelo Ball that checking in with sources holding direct knowledge of Ball’s status was a must. Yet I was cautioned almost as quickly that it would be premature to go too far in depth on Ball’s trade candidacy,” Fischer reports. “One source said it was way too soon. Another source passed along that the Hornets might eventually reach a point before the Feb. 5 trade deadline that they decide to seriously field offers for the former All-Star guard but echoed the notion that we’re not there yet.”</p><p>Fischer also reports that Ball is among the top guards, along with Ja Morant and Trae Young, that are being monitored by rival teams regarding their potential trade availability. All three players are currently on teams that are underachieving through the first month of the regular season.</p><p>Ball has appeared in 1o of the Hornets’ first 16 games at a little over 30 minutes per game. He’s averaging 21.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.3 steals with splits of 39.3 percent shooting from the field, 28.6 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 87.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball trade buzz gets more cold water dumped on it

<!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-lamelo-ball-blasts-false-amid-info-swirling-trade-rumor');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets’ LaMelo Ball blasts ‘false info’ amid swirling trade rumor');   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/2025/11/Hornets-star-LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets’ LaMelo Ball blasts ‘false info’ amid swirling trade rumor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-21T12:40:27-08:00">November 21st, 12:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-21T12:40:38-08:00">November 21st, 12:40pm</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 star point guard LaMelo Ball wasted little time in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-fires-back-at-reports-frustration-with-1-emoji">denying a report</a> that claimed he was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-open-to-trade-amid-rumored-frustration">open to a trade</a> amid “frustrations” with the organization. The 2022 All-Star and former Rookie of the Year posted a clown emoji after the story started making the rounds, but he went into more detail about the matter on Friday afternoon. Ball <a href="https://x.com/JeremyGrandiso1/status/1991939377950540285" rel="noopener">publicly reiterated his loyalty</a> to the franchise that drafted him back in 2020.</p><p>“He never heard that come from me,” the 24-year-old point guard said, per Jeremy Grandison of Fourcast Sports, referring to Kelly Iko’s Yahoo Sports article. “The source is not from me. It’s false info… I love being here. I’m just trying to win, that’s it… I’m still confident in this whole group and everybody here, so I’m rockin’ with it.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaMelo Ball addressed yesterday’s headlines during media availability, saying “The source didn’t come from me. It’s falso info.” </p><p>Ball was later asked if he’s content being in Charlotte, to which he responded “I love being here”. <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveReedAP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SteveReedAP</a> with the Q. Full answer here. <a href="https://t.co/BEWffYWNgZ">pic.twitter.com/BEWffYWNgZ</a></p><p>— Jeremy Grandison (@JeremyGrandiso1) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyGrandiso1/status/1991939377950540285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Hornets fans probably needed to hear Ball reaffirm his loyalty, but some skepticism is bound to remain. Even if the former No. 3 overall pick is not seeking a trade at this time, one has to wonder how long this marriage will last. Charlotte (4-11) has lost seven of its last eight games, quickly falling behind in what is supposed to be an opportunity-laden Eastern Conference. This is still a young team, but visible improvement is expected, nay demanded.</p><p>Thus far, despite rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-kon-knueppel-drawing-klay-thompson-devin-booker-comparisons">Kon Knueppel’s stellar start</a>, the Hornets remain stagnant. Ball’s own struggles are only adding to the concerns surrounding the squad. He is scoring 21.6 points per game on inefficient 38.5 percent shooting through nine games. His bad habit of attempting ill-advised buckets is worse than ever, making him a liability at times. His talent is undeniable, as demonstrated by the 9.6 assists and 1.4 steals he is averaging this season, but he must exercise considerably more discipline on the floor.</p><p>Otherwise, Charlotte will fail to take the next step in its rebuild. Beyond what LaMelo Ball wants, the Hornets need to feel comfortable about No. 1 leading them for the years to come. Per his words, however, both parties are apparently on the same page for the time being.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets’ LaMelo Ball blasts ‘false info’ amid swirling trade rumor

<!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-reveals-absolutely-certain-mindset-lamelo-ball-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: Insider reveals ‘absolutely certain’ mindset on LaMelo Ball 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/2025/11/LaMelo-Ball-of-the-Charlotte-Hornets-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: Insider reveals ‘absolutely certain’ mindset on LaMelo Ball trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-21T07:25:34-08:00">November 21st, 7:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-21T07:25:34-08:00">November 21st, 7:25am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets have once again started the season slowly, and it was reported that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-open-to-trade-amid-rumored-frustration">LaMelo Ball was open to a trade</a>, as he’s frustrated with the direction of the team. It’s not certain how true that rumor is, but there is one thing that is for certain: the Hornets are <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/is-the-nbas-trade-market-for-point?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=179496932&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">not looking to trade him</a>, according to Jake Fischer via Marc Stein.</p><p>“Our own Jake Fischer, on a Bleacher Report live stream Thursday afternoon, said he believes ‘with absolute certainty’ that the Hornets are not currently willing to field calls on Ball. Not before they get a longer look at Ball playing alongside the injured Brandon Miller and the Hornets’ promising rookie duo of Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner,” Stein wrote.</p><p>The Hornets have not been able to see the true potential of their team with the injuries, and once everyone is healthy, it’ll be interesting to see if they can get on the right track. In the event that things still look the same and they’re losing games, what do the Hornets do?</p><p>If they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-fires-back-at-reports-frustration-with-1-emoji">put Ball on the trade block</a>, there’s a good chance that they could get a lot for him. At the same time, with questions about his injury history and his play style, it would not be a surprise if he didn’t have a lot of suitors. Ball has only played more than 70 games once in his career, and there should be real concern if he can stay healthy throughout an 82-game season.</p><p>The Hornets could look to try and trade other players on the team, such as Miles Bridges, who could maybe get them an asset that they like. As of now, it seems like the franchise is in a wait-and-see mode, and they won’t know what they want to do until the season continues.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: Insider reveals ‘absolutely certain’ mindset on LaMelo Ball 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/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-open-to-trade-amid-rumored-frustration');   ga('set', 'title', 'LaMelo Ball open to trade amid rumored frustration');   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/2025/11/LaMelo-Ball.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>LaMelo Ball open to trade amid rumored frustration</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-20T14:55:19-08:00">November 20th, 2:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-20T15:56:19-08:00">November 20th, 3:56pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna is an Associate Editor covering the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Charlotte Hornets and LaMelo Ball appear to be heading toward separation. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-isnt-playing-thunder">Ball has battled an ankle injury this week</a>. But now he reportedly wants out of the organization.</p><p>NBA insider Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports <a href="https://x.com/KellyIko/status/1991626705702973453?s=20" rel="noopener">dropped the bombshell news</a> on Thursday, all amid a slow start for the Hornets.</p><p>“Amidst a rough 4-11 start, Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade, league sources tell Yahoo Sports,” Iko posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-hilariously-screams-ball-drive-raptors">Ball became a part of a rather hilarious moment involving Kon Knueppel</a> against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Yet it’s looking like his relationship with the team has soured.</p><h2>What went wrong with LaMelo Ball and Hornets?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LaMelo-Ball-of-the-Charlotte-Hornets-2.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The 24-year-old not long ago established himself as the face of “Buzz City.”</p><p>Ball arrived as the third overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft — joining a class featuring Anthony Edwards, Obi Toppin and Tyrese Haliburton.</p><p>But Iko <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/sources-lamelo-ball-open-to-trade-away-from-hornets-215320940.html" rel="noopener">dove into additional reasons</a> why Ball and Charlotte are heading toward a pre-NBA Trade deadline move.</p><p>“On Wednesday night, the one-time All-Star was benched for the final 4:32 of regulation in the 127-119 loss, finishing the game with 18 points on just 5-for-21 shooting and 6 turnovers in 27 minutes,” Iko wrote.</p><p>The sharpshooter is also experiencing career lows in field goal percentage at .385, plus 3-point percentage at .298.</p><p>He’s still dropping 21.6 points per game for the Eastern Conference franchise while also dishing out 9.6 assists (career-best mark). But given his youth and past NBA All-Star experience, Ball will likely command attention in the trade market.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LaMelo Ball open to trade amid rumored frustration

<!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-the-9-4-million-trade-reason-charlotte-waived-spencer-dinwiddie');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: The $9.4 million trade reason Charlotte waived Spencer Dinwiddie');   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/2025/10/Mavericks-forward-Cooper-Flagg-and-Hornets-player-Spencer-Dinwiddie.jpg"><figcaption>Candice Ward-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: The $9.4 million trade reason Charlotte waived Spencer Dinwiddie</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-21T07:30:57-07:00">October 21st, 7:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-21T07:30:57-07:00">October 21st, 7:30am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-charlotte-waives-spencer-dinwiddie-3-months-after-signing-him">Charlotte Hornets inked veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie</a> to a one-year, $3.6 million contract in the summer, but they will be entering the 2025-26 NBA season without him on the roster. Dinwiddie was released by Charlotte less than a week before the start of the new NBA campaign, as the team needed to shed a player to get inside the 15-standard contract limit.</p><p>But why Dinwiddie?</p><p>It appears that the Hornets decided to part ways with Dinwiddie because they didn’t want another veteran in forward Pat Connaughton to be the one they’d waive <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/monday-best-one-more-burst-of-around" rel="noopener">for at least two reasons</a>, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>For one, Connaughton is said to have cultivated a great persona in the young Hornets locker room.</p><p>“The 32-year-old is already a popular locker room presence in Charlotte, ranks as the only active Hornet who has won an NBA championship and is one of just two thirtysomethings on a young team alongside 35-year-old Mason Plumlee,” wrote Stein.</p><p>Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, Stein noted that “Charlotte does still harbor hope that the former Milwaukee Buck’s $9.4 million expiring contract holds some appeal as a useful trade chip between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline.”</p><p>Connaughton arrived in Charlotte via a trade in July. The Bucks sent him to the Hornets along with two future NBA draft picks in exchange for Serbian guard Vasilije Micic, who was later waived by Milwaukee. Two weeks before that move by Milwaukee, Connaughton picked up his player option for the 2025-26 season worth $9.43 million.</p><p>Selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, Connaughton has played 595 regular-season games in the league, averaging 6.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 35.6 percent from behind the arc in his career.</p><p>Connaughton isn’t expected to get heavy minutes with the Hornets, and is likely not going to be part of the team’s rotation, while being buried on the depth chart behind the likes of Kon Knueppel, Josh Green and Liam McNeely. But from a front office’s perspective, the Hornets appear to be more interested in the kind of capital they’d get <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-rumors-milwaukee-avenues-trade">in case of a Connaughton trade</a> than what his actual value could be on the floor.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: The $9.4 million trade reason Charlotte waived Spencer Dinwiddie

<!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-lamelo-ball-viewed-as-losing-franchise-player-around-nba');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball viewed as losing franchise player around NBA');   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/2025/10/Hornets-star-LaMelo-Ball-vs-Mavericks-in-NBA-Preseason.jpg"><figcaption>Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball viewed as losing franchise player around NBA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-14T09:56:28-07:00">October 14th, 9:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-14T09:56:28-07:00">October 14th, 9:56am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Charlotte Hornets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LaMelo <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-grant-williams-gushes-over-lamelo-ball-offseason-work">Ball continues to earn praise from teammates for his work ethic and character</a>, yet across the NBA, rumors and skepticism continues to grow around the Charlotte Hornets star. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, several league insiders question <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-advice-baron-davis">whether LaMelo Ball can truly anchor a winning franchise</a>. The <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25260160-lamelo-ball-reportedly-isnt-seen-face-winning-franchise-nba-insiders" rel="noopener">conversation surfaced</a> on The Hoop Collective podcast. There, MacMahon, Brian Windhorst, and Tim Bontemps broke down Charlotte’s young core: Ball, Brandon Miller, and 2025 first-round pick Kon Knueppel.</p><p>“LaMelo Ball’s a mega-talent, who I just don’t think can be the face of a winning franchise,” MacMahon said. “And by the way, that’s not considered a controversial opinion when you talk to people within the league.” His statement echoed what some executives have whispered for months. Talent alone isn’t enough without leadership, defense, and availability.</p><p>Ball’s inconsistency has only fueled the debate. Over the past three seasons, the 6’7” playmaker has appeared in just 105 games. That’s a concerning number for someone earning more than $40 million per year. When he’s on the court, questions persist about his decision-making and defensive commitment. Despite shooting just 33.9 percent from deep, Ball still attempted more than 11 threes per game last season. Many of those came early in the shot clock.</p><p>While LaMelo Ball remains one of the league’s most creative passers and flashiest guards, his highlight reels haven’t translated to consistent winning. The Hornets have yet to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement since his arrival. That leaves many wondering whether his style fits a long-term contender. Even MacMahon’s co-hosts admitted that Charlotte’s problems extend beyond Ball. Still, they agreed that franchise players must elevate those around them.</p><p>Charlotte’s playoff drought is entering another painful year, and patience within the organization may not last forever. For the Hornets, the challenge is simple yet urgent. Can LaMelo Ball’s immense talent evolve into leadership and the Hornets winning habits? Or will the NBA rumors about his ability to lead a winning team soon become reality?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hornets rumors: LaMelo Ball viewed as losing franchise player around NBA

<!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>

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