LaMelo Ball Rumors

ClutchPoints: "LaMelo [Ball] needs to have a goal going into the season ... 'I'ma be the top point guard, I'ma play 82 games & get my team to the playoffs.'" Baron Davis gives his viewpoint on LaMelo Ball heading into the new season 🗣️ (via @PodcaPShow)

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Ben Golliver: LaMelo Ball pulls up to the Hornets’ Summer League game

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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.

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Charania said on McAfee’s show that he has not heard anything concrete regarding the Hornets’ interest in trading Ball. However, he stressed that this is the period when he’d expect to start hearing rumors across the league. He wouldn’t discount the Hornets potentially listening to a trade offer for Ball after back-to-back poor seasons, with Charlotte still in the initial stages of a rebuild. “Listen, if a team calls the Hornets and makes a massive offer, makes a real push for LaMelo Ball, if you’re the Hornets, you have to be all ears at that point. At the position they are with their franchise,” Charania said.

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The Charlotte Hornets have limited star power, and LaMelo Ball is one of the few who can be considered among the NBA elites. As good as LaMelo is, though, his influence is described as questionable by scouts and agents across the league. According to NBA insider Zach Lowe, some agents would rather their players stay away from LaMelo and out of Charlotte. "That Charlotte/Utah double at four-five, you have agents looking who look at those situations wildly differently," said Lowe on his podcast. "You have some agents who are like, 'I don't know if I want to have my guy next to LaMelo Ball. I just don't know if that's a good fit for us.' And yet, new ownership, new front office, that franchise is kind of doing everything else right."

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Now that a majority share of the Lakers is going to be sold by the Buss family to Mark Walter, the elder Ball wants his three sons — Lonzo, LaMelo and LiAngelo — to play for the Purple and Gold and for Magic Johnson to return to the organization. “More news!” LaVar said. “The Lakers just sold for $10 billion. Uh oh. Hey, [Los Angeles] Clippers, you better get my boys or Lakers if you put Magic back in line. Let Magic run this thing so we go get these championships, 'cause he know what to do. Magic, this for you. Since them Lakers is ran by a new group, shoot. A new time, new era. Go get the Ball boys. Hey, it’s not even about a bidding war. First come, first serve. “Whoever wants them championships, better get the Ball boys. Trust me when I tell you. But Magic, if you in line, I’m down with you, dawg. Holler at your boy.”

Yahoo! Sports

Lou Williams: I can see the Clippers making a play for a premier point guard. I know they've been in the market for one. They've been trying to figure out what they're going to do at that position. And that’s one of the things that’s going to help them. You know, if you can slide James Harden back over to the two, and kind of give them that balance—put him in a position to start being a scoring guard again, as opposed to the facilitator he’s turned into with the Clippers—that may help them. On the other side of it, with Charlotte, if they draft another point guard, they're showing you their hand. They're showing you that they’re possibly going to move in a different direction, depending on where they draft that point guard in this draft. So I can see the Clippers making a play for LaMelo Ball—and him being able to go home and do something special at the crib."

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Full basketball activities haven’t arrived yet for LaMelo Ball, but he’s coming along during the process. “Yeah, I’ve seen great consistency with him just trying to get himself back after his procedures,” Lee said, “getting in the gym, doing everything he can physically and mentally to get his body right. Because then that next phase after he gets himself back mentally and physically is to hit the court and try to work on some of those skill acquisitions. “But again, body is going to be one of the most important things so we can continue to have him durable.”

Charlotte Observer

Lonzo Ball: "I wasn’t getting in trouble like that. Melo was getting in trouble. "Honestly, some stories I can’t even say. He was really bad. Probably the worst kid I’ve ever met. He’s calmed down a lot though—I’ll give him credit for that."

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On the latest episode of "The WAE Show," Lonzo pitched a set of circumstances that would dramatically shake up the NBA landscape. "I've lowkey got Dylan Harper going to the Hornets, and I've got Melo going to the Clips."

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Lee will have another chance to maximize the team around Ball, but it will be on the Hornets star to do the same before rival teams start pushing trade offers Peterson’s way. The GM gave Ball a strong endorsement after the season ended, saying Ball can be as good as he wants to be and does things on the court no one else can do. Ball told reporters he loves being in Charlotte and is not feeling the need to push his way elsewhere. “So all that you need to leave and this and that, I mean, when you build something, it’s never just going to pop up and be the best thing,” Ball said during Monday’s exit interview. “So you got to stay here, work it out, do what you are going to do, and see what happens if you’re gonna try to make it work.”

New York Times

LaMelo Ball: "Uh, like you said, I know what I can do. And just being here — I loved it. I mean, the fans are amazing. Just the living situation has been amazing. Everything’s been solid. So all that ‘you need to leave’ and this and that — I mean, when you build something, it's never just going to pop up and be the best thing. You gotta stay there, work it out, do what you're going to do, and see what happens — try to make it work, you know what I’m saying?"

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LaMelo Ball addressed the rumors on social media about fans wanting him to play in bigger markets or better teams. “I'm bothered if I don't eat, if I ain't got the meal, I'll call my people, hopefully some food will come. Bother means like stuff throughout the day. Like the dog pisses on the floor or something like that, that bothers me. Little stuff like that. But telling you to go somewhere or do this, nah. It can't.”

Clutch Points

Head coach Charles Lee left no doubt about his offseason expectations from Charlotte Hornets cornerstone point guard LaMelo Ball. "He's got to get stronger," Lee said Monday following the team's exit interviews. Opposing teams regularly stepped up their defensive pressure on Ball this season, trying to get the 6-foot-7, 190-pounder off his game by being extra physical and using hand and body checks on the perimeter and bodying him up on the way to the basket.

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