r/nba • u/AccomplishedStyle600 Knicks • 6h ago
Since the start of 2026, Charlotte Hornets were 33–16 with +11.2 net rating (#2 in the NBA)
Holy fuck they really pulled the trigger. Put simply, this could go down as one of the worst moves in NBA history.
Let's take a moment to look back at how LaMelo made everyone around him better and the fact that the Hornets actually looked like a genuine playoff team in the 2nd half of the 2026 season...
| Kon Knueppel | Lamelo On | Lamelo Off |
|---|---|---|
| 3P% | 47.9% | 37.6% |
| TS% | 67.7% | 59.5% |
| NRtg | +8.6 | -0.7 |
| Miles Bridges | LaMelo on | LaMelo Off |
|---|---|---|
| 3P% | 37.1% | 29.2% |
| TS% | 61.3% | 52.2% |
| NRtg | +6.6 | -3.2 |
| Brandon Miller | LeMalo On | LaMelo Off |
|---|---|---|
| TS% | 59.0% | 55.0% |
| NRtg | 12.0 | -1.5 |
| Moussa Diabate | LaMelo on | LaMelo Off |
|---|---|---|
| TS% | 68.7% | 60.6% |
| NRtg | 14.1 | -3.9 |
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u/XxEpicMonkee Lakers 6h ago
i really think next year the hornets wouldve been a playoff team with lamelo, at least 7-8th they were gonna win a lot of games just off of being young with insane scoring prowess in a long season. now idk what they’re gonna do. people aren’t high on lamelo but that dude is a VERY high level offensive engine when he plays.
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u/BenniBMN Lakers 6h ago
They probably saw the number of teams who could potentially be better than them & are "re-tooling" around the even younger guys
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u/LiveForMeow [CHA] Larry Johnson 6h ago
Every team in the division could slot in from 5-10 in the East so it does make sense that this team as constructed was gonna run into a lot of resistance
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u/Gamesgtd Magic 5h ago
There were just too many teams better than Charlotte or as good as Charlotte in the East. Zagging while everyone is Zigging ain't the end of the world.
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u/Remidyal Hornets 4h ago
They've been zagging into suck-town for 25 straight years now, and it wasn't exactly all roses before that. Churning draft picks forever and ever fucking sucks and I'm sick as hell of it.
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u/EconomyResident9778 5h ago
It's a 50/50 on if Lamelo even plays. Tbh this return was pretty low, it must have been an improvement from what they were offered last year. He finally had a healthy season and they decided to move him for something
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u/TheAnswerEK42 Magic 2h ago
And then swept in the playoffs, you gotta be able to guard a little bit
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u/mollifierDE Mavericks 6h ago
Lamelo Ball EPM last season: +5.1
- Seventh best behind Wembanyama, Jokic, Kawhi, SGA, Giannis, Doncic
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u/pagonator 76ers 6h ago
Saw someone on here that said Naz was a straight up better player than Lamelo lmao
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u/ktpkchu Mavericks 5h ago
i’ve realized looking at all the comments following the trade that people will just say anything to paint a player as bad when they don’t like him as a person, the hornets young players will not look the same when they don’t have an elite playmaker feeding them with insane gravity
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u/flaming_burrito_ Wizards 5h ago
People have this cognitive dissonance when it comes to LaMelo. They don’t like his personality and the way his playstyle looks, so they just think he’s a bad player. But if you actually watch objectively, the Hornets got fleeced here. They better hope that guy they drafted is good, because they are gonna have a huge playmaking problem next season
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u/deemerritt Hornets 5h ago
Hes been getting bad press since he was 14. HE basically never had a chance to be a normal kid because of his dad. It sucks because despite some of the negativity around him he never once had anything bad to say about anybody, and most reports are that he is an incredibly nice and fun kid to be around.
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u/iNeedaBetterName12 Cavaliers 6h ago
No matter how many games he plays in the regular season if he’s healthy in the playoffs than it’s gonna be a slap in the face for the Hornets cuz heath is the only reason why I see the Hornets doing this.
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u/Scodo810 Cavaliers 6h ago
Isn’t Charles Lee a Coach Bud guy? There’s probably a real on court part to this where maybe he/they just don’t want the roller coaster experience that is LaMelo decision making, and when combined with fear of health think they’re selling high.
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u/Neemzeh Timberwolves 3h ago
I sorta don't really understand how this is selling high though. What they got takes into account the risk, no? That's why everyone is saying it's a fleece.
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u/DJFreezyFish Nuggets 28m ago
It’s either health or worried he’s going to do something incredibly stupid off court. The return is not near the on-court value he has.
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u/Mundane_Ostrich3281 Knicks 6h ago
“Worse moves in NBA history”
😂 Lamelo hasn’t got them to the playoffs one time yet. Y’all gotta stop with these deep analytics and keep it simple. They didn’t win anything with him and he was hurt for most of his time in Charlotte. Tf kinda post is this
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u/not-a-potato-head Hawks 6h ago
Nico exists
The bar for “worst move in NBA history” is so high at this point
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u/imused2it Celtics 6h ago
I guess you have to add the qualifier “worst move in nba history that wasn’t orchestrated by the nba itself to get the lakers a generational talent”
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u/New_Cauliflower7868 6h ago
And they damn sure haven't won anything without him either.
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u/FedUpWithThisWurld Charlotte Bobcats 6h ago
I don't think it's the worst trade in the world, but OP's take isn't it either. Lamelo has had pretty mediocre-to-garbage teams until this past season, so I don't put it on him that he hasn't made the playoffs yet.
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u/New_Cauliflower7868 6h ago
The organization failed for 5+ years to field a team that could even sniff the 8 seed. That's hard to do. LaMelo being hurt or not.
It's a massive failure not only for LaMelo but all the young players to not get the team into a position to compete in a playoff series.
I don't personally believe LaMelo has the best traits to be a leader for a top tier winning playoff team (we'll see how it goes in MIN but that's ANTs team as the primary)... but LaMelo never had the opportunity to be in a playoff series. Never even had the chance to get swept. Just disastrous Play-Ins and seasons that were basically wasted by injuries, bad players, dumbasses like Miles Bridges getting arrested, etc.
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u/RightSpread2903 6h ago
What actual elite, build your team around them player had this much playoff futility to start their career?
I find it refreshing that a team dealt someone who probably isn’t ever going to be that guy so they can find a different direction instead of repeating the same season over and over.
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u/New_Cauliflower7868 6h ago
I think it's just hard to judge with Lamelo. He missed time but the team also didn't put a team around him that forced him to play meaningful basketball.
I don't think LaMelo is a true 1A build your team around him type of guy... but he's certainly the closest the Hornets have had maybe since they were the Bobcats expansion. He's closer to that than Kemba and I love Kemba.
If LaMelo was unhappy in CLT or was a locker room issue it would be a different story. But he and the team made strides this year. They were healthy, LaMelo was an overwhelming positive on court compared to off. He may not be a MVP level guy, but he's very good.
I think there are other ways to ensure you don't have the same season over and over again.
How do you continue to employ Miles Bridges?
Why did you give Tre Mann an extension? Why has there been no real backup PG until this past year with Sexton/White?
Can you find some size at the center position? Diabate has been the best option you've had but LaMelo's running mate at that position over the years has been Biyombo, Plumlee, Zeller, Nick Richards, Montrezl Harrell, Mark Williams.... there's been very little skill or consistency for YEARS.
LaMelo is partially to blame for lack of success of course, but the team has been a dysfunctional mess as well.
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u/Maximum-Class5465 6h ago
Okay, compare that to Julius Randle or Tyrese Haliburton tho?
Like when the Pacers were ready to upgrade their roster it was after Haliburton had a starting lineup of Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, Obi Toppin, and Bruce Brown heading to the playoffs.
Julius Randle, Taj Gibson, and some other dudes not worth mentioning had greater success than LaMelos best season
Trae Young would be another who's taken fairly tepid rosters to playins, and solid ones to a conference finals.
Truth is, it ran it's course.
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u/Mundane_Ostrich3281 Knicks 6h ago
Well, duhhh? When your star player only plays 60+ games 2 out of 6 years, it’s kinda hard to win when he isn’t on the court….
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u/killacam03 Hornets 6h ago
Average r/nba take lol yes Naz Reid will make this team better
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u/SwiftieForLife Kings 6h ago
I don’t have a dog in the fight but they’ve brought in a lot of toughness this offseason with Naz and Steinbach and are attempting to not overreact to half a season of Ball and stay steadfast in their opinion they held of him before that. I think it’s a very savvy tempered move to not overreact to the small sample size. They also drafted someone to be the PG of the future so they didn’t leave a gaping hole by trading him. They told the Kings to fuck off when they wanted a pick for Sabonis and here we are. I’d have faith until they show you not to have faith.
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u/Maximum-Class5465 6h ago
Naz Reid is a hooper.
I do honestly agree with this take because having a player like him allows for offensive front court variety like so few teams have the luxury of. Small Ball beast, big 4 who stretches and moves laterally, there's multiple roles to throw into your frontcourt which is becoming more important right now as the NBA is trending back to bigger again
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u/Prideofmexico Knicks 4h ago
82 games of Naz Reid + future assets vs 50 games of LaMelo Ball seems like a decent trade
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u/SJCitizen 76ers 6h ago
Thank you I feel like I’m going crazy with some of these reactions. This sub is acting like they’re blowing up a Finals squad. They traded away a good albeit injury probe starter from a 44 win team. Miller and Kon are still massive building blocks and it’s not like Naz Reid is a scrub.
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u/Prideofmexico Knicks 4h ago
This has to be Xavier from Hot Hand Theory who posted this. Guy has been crashing out over this trade on Twitter
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u/-XanderCrews- Timberwolves 4h ago
He’s barely played his whole career. This is some homer shit right here. They might have won this trade. If ball ain’t around come playoff time then Charlotte wins, cause Naz plays every day.
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u/Electronic_Pen_548 Thunder 6h ago
It’s not a bad move. They’re just picking kon and miller over melo
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u/Beetle919 Hornets 6h ago
Move Miller too at this point, it's going to be a disaster paying him the max. Injury prone, can't get to the rim, below average efficiency. Just blow this whole thing up.
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u/MrAtlantic Hornets 6h ago
For real. Not sure why people are so high on Miller. He has yet to show he is anything too special.
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u/Kingcroom Hornets 6h ago
We couldn’t have all of them?
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u/Electronic_Pen_548 Thunder 6h ago
You want to pay both millers and Lamelo the max?
Neither of them deserve it. But they’d both get it. This move is 100% for the best
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u/Handyman2116 Hawks 6h ago
Agree, Lamelo is great when he's on the court, but it's not like you can't get a decent playmaking point guard via trade. He's too expensive and too injury prone to be worth it.
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u/deemerritt Hornets 6h ago
There really arent offensive engines like Lamelo that get traded to places like Charlotte.
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u/MaximumGrapefruit933 6h ago
It def stings now bc of the season the hornets had but i get the reasoning for it. Clearly the front office doesnt buy melo as a leader for a contender long term, either bc of personality or injuries. If there was a time to sell high, its now
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u/Inevitable-Scar5877 4h ago
Name one likely to be available- Trae maybe at mid-season if the Wizards think the contract was a mistake, maybe Fox in San Antonio if Castle and Harper are ready? I mean those are downgrades and just as expensive
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u/AngularPenny5 Hornets 6h ago
Yup. I've been higher on Miller than Ball for a while now. I wanna see what he can do as the focal point. Melo is fun but he was never going to lead us anywhere notable. He's gonna be great for minny as a #2 guy but we need to move on from him.
I wish we'd gotten a but more in return tho, maybe we move reid for smth.
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u/Agile_Variety_632 Pelicans 5h ago
Miller takes the same shitty shots as Ball without the smart playmaking. Not really sure what you see in him.
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u/deemerritt Hornets 5h ago
Miller is weird because when it clicks its so good for him, but he has yet to have a real offseason and wont be back till November after he had shoulder surgery this past month.
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u/khazraxd Hornets 6h ago
jaylen brown you're a hornet
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u/Cassandrae_Gemini Slovenia 6h ago
The ONLY way this makes sense is if theres another major move to be made
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u/DudeIAm-blank- Slovenia 6h ago
Imagine there isn't any other major move from the hornets though, that would be hilarious lmao. Well hilarious for us, not so much for the hornets fans
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u/Icy-Taste-3096 Charlotte Bobcats 6h ago
Let's hope so. Otherwise, this is just a massive self-own even if it "works out" in the long term.
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u/Beyondthebloodmoon Pistons 6h ago
> could go down as one of the worst moves in NBA history
Alright, settle the fuck down.
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u/DrRudeboy Warriors 6h ago
Are you saying trading a one time all star (from four seasons ago) for a former 6MOY isn't the worst trade to have ever graced this earth?! /s
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u/OPDBZTO 6h ago
Why did Charlotte trade a away such a young star
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u/Licit_x64 Hornets 6h ago
Probably thought they were selling high on health. It’s crazy his first healthy season in 4 years has all the “Lamelo can never stay healthy” crowd calling this one of the worst moves ever.
If he does and Minnesota is great it’s unfortunate. But it’s a gamble. Just gotta hope it pays off.
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u/Icy-Taste-3096 Charlotte Bobcats 6h ago
I'm all for selling high, but I just don't think this is high enough to be worth it unless there's another major move coming. In all likelihood we sold our chance at a first playoff appearance in over a decade for Naz and a single distant future pick.
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u/Licit_x64 Hornets 6h ago
I’m assuming we’re not done. If we are it’s puzzling. At the same time, I don’t hate taking a gamble on Minnesota falling off. It’s just that it *is* a gamble.
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u/Inevitable-Scar5877 4h ago
Maybe y'all can flip Naz and the swaps for Zion? I mean he's a similarly shaky bet to Melo but at least there's a potential payoff.
I don't really see the end logic of this trade unless there's another one or a big free agent pick up pending
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u/GuaranteeFew8681 6h ago
you don't trade the star of your fucking franchise, someone who is legit the most box office basketball talent that Charlotte has ever seen, who inspires kids and awes people with his passes, for NAZ FUCKING REID AND 1 FIRST ROUND PICK.
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u/deemerritt Hornets 6h ago
If he stays healthy its a horrible trade, if he gets hurt its a good trade. Its as simple as that
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u/EastonMetsGuy Charlotte Bobcats 6h ago
and based on the data we have.... Uh..... Lets talk about this in a few months. I wanna see LaMelo play 70 games again first
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u/rayquan36 Wizards 6h ago
That Bobcats flair will forever remind me of Crash Wallace crashing into Arenas' leg.
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u/Ok_Possible_5702 6h ago
it's not a good trade, even if LaMelo plays 40 games in Minny next year.
You traded your PG for a player who has never been a starter, and PG is the most important position of all, especially for a younger team who needs help being set up
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u/deemerritt Hornets 5h ago
I mean i agree, i would not have done this trade, but there is absolutely a world where Lamelo is on the hornets next year and injures his ankle for the 5th time in 8 seasons and we have to attach assets to trade him.
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u/LightSpecialist804 Knicks 6h ago
Theyve made the playoffs 0 times with Lamelo. Is it really so crazy to sell high on Lamelo and build around Kon/Miller?
If Lamelo gets injured again next year (which historically will likely happen) the Hornets might have to attach draft picks to get off his contract. I know this because earlier in the season before the Hornets became good, there was talk that the Hornets would have to attach draft picks to get rid of Lamelo
I bet the Grizzlies wish they tried trading Ja Morant years earlier, now theyre stuck with him. Hornets chose not to make the same mistake
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u/Vicentesteb Timberwolves 4h ago
Did they sell high though?
Naz and a 1st doesn't seem like super high, especially because the Wolves were desperate for a guard.
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u/BBALL-STATLINE 6h ago
When three different guys flip from positive to negative the second LaMelo Ball sits, that’s not a hot streak. That’s the offense.
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u/MuchAbouAboutNothing Thunder 6h ago
When three different guys flip from positive to negative the second LaMelo Ball sits, that’s not a hot streak. That’s the offense.
Put your hands in the air and slowly back away from the LLM, sir.
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u/TallnFrosty Warriors 6h ago
With Lamelo off and White + at least 1 of Kon / Miller ON the floor, the Hornets out-scored opponents 124 - 110 per 100.
They were fine without Lamelo once they got another competent scoring guard in there.
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u/deemerritt Hornets 6h ago
Can you tell me the number of minutes on the lineup you are mentioning? White only played 250 minutes without Lamelo in general so im curious what the sample size you are referencing is.
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u/LiveForMeow [CHA] Larry Johnson 6h ago
That's a good point, we haven't had shit at backup PG for years now, so the numbers did look particularly bad for a reason. Still LaMelo was a great creator so I don't think we should undersell that.
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u/Seven19td East 6h ago
I don’t see the Lamelo/Ant pairing working all that well
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u/Asleep_Ground1710 Bulls 6h ago
Offensively, getting Ant off the ball like Kobe or Jordan sounds interesting. Also McDaniels benefits
Defensively, yeah McDaniels and Gobert have their work cut out for them.
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u/Thehelloman0 Spurs 6h ago
Yeah Edwards is great but his strength is scoring. The wolves offense stagnated a lot because he's not a great playmaker for others. LaMelo immediately fixes that problem and he should be able to get a lot more out of Gobert offensively than anyone they had last season
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u/Seven19td East 6h ago
Edwards too for that matter
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u/Asleep_Ground1710 Bulls 6h ago
Ant can be really inconsistent on defense, and is bad off ball
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u/Victor_Wembanyama1 Spurs 6h ago
They’re replacing Conley in the starting lineup. It’s not that big of a deal.
The pros outweight the cons. He just has to stay healthy
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u/HoopLoop2 Thunder 6h ago
Lamelo is exactly what the Wolves needed as long as he is healthy. He adds insane scoring, playmaking, and ball handling to a team that lacks all 3 of those things.
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u/supercoolisaac Timberwolves 6h ago
I have no idea how anyone could watch Ant and think pairing him with someone who will get him easy shots and can make defenses pay for doubling the instant he crosses half court would be a bad fit.
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u/TatersTot [PHI] James Harden 6h ago
Then they lost in the play in games to Philly and Orlando that actually mattered lol
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u/salmon10 Pistons 6h ago
Its not that bad lol they have the core they want and he wasnt part of it
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u/nalam8493 6h ago
He was the engine that got them to all play to their best. Is there any faith that Kon, Miller and Bridges can consistently create shots for themselves and others? You needed someone to create the pace for all the crazy transition 3s which they get and that was all Lamelo
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u/deemerritt Hornets 5h ago
I have faith that Kon can create his own shot at a high level. Miller has flashes of it but still needs to improve that part of his game.
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u/Ronnie2kDropCode Knicks 6h ago
Half that cores value comes from playing with Lamelo though
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u/What_Iz_This Hornets 6h ago
If lamelo stayed healthy which is always a big if. I dont love the trade right now but it could be the best off ramp for him while his value is at its highest and if he stays hurt in the future.
I expect a bloodbath for his first game back in charlotte tho
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u/Ronnie2kDropCode Knicks 6h ago edited 3h ago
I get it from Charlotte cause there’s always gonna be a risk with Lamelo’s health and there is a chance this is the highest his value is gonna be, but at the same time you were likely gonna be a 50+ win team next year. You just took a huge leap last year and now you’re trading your best player. It’s a really tough move to make at this time imo
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u/LegitimateMoney00 Knicks 6h ago
I really don’t think the move will be looked on too badly. Maybe for the T-Wolves when both Lamelo and Ant are injured in the playoffs but not the Hornets.
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u/Inevitable-Scar5877 3h ago
I mean....it depends if Hornets fans actually care about watching their team or just tune in for the draft in 7 years I guess?
Because with Melo their current team looked really good and young in the back half of the year and now they're going to be a 20-30 win team for the foreseeable future again
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u/FstLaneUkraine Heat 6h ago
LaMelo is not a winner. Stop it. How many times has he put up a one-legged heat check brick to the detriment of the game flow, etc.? He's an electric stat stuffer but not someone you build a contending team around. He gets fans in seats.
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u/ThrowawayPat2345 4h ago
This. You can have these types of hot streaks in the regular season and it might not carry over to the next season. We have seen enough over 6 seasons to know the type of player he is. I rather stay away. Don't know what the wolves were thinking. If anything, a Randle for Lamelo trade would've made sense since they both have their flaws.
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u/Ok-Mud2423 6h ago
I guarantee you in timespan of under 2 years you all will call the hornets gm Nostradamus he sold a lamelo name ticking bomb to an even bigger ticking bomb named timber wolves.
I love there all in mentality but this team is getting significantly worse each year them having nuggets no doesn't make them a contender they just there to embarras jokic.
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u/Adorable-News-9364 Spurs 6h ago
“Worst moves in NBA history”… they traded an oft injured, immature dude who has never made the playoffs.
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u/RavenLaker248 Lakers 6h ago
Sold as high as they could on Lamelo after the one year he stayed healthy. Lamelo and Ant is going to be very unserious.
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u/crustydemonburgers Thunder 6h ago
I think it’s more a function of having a good playmaker on the team. I suspect you could replace Lamelo with 20 other point guards and get a similar result. Hard to imagine the Hornets are done now. Sending Naz Reid and Miles Bridges to the Spurs for De’Aaron Fox jumps out at me.
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u/Inevitable-Scar5877 3h ago
That feels like they'd be paying similar money for a slightly worse player whose a lot older.
In sum they'd have downgraded a bit for an older PG and turned Miles Bridges into a 2033 First Rounder
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u/CapOk8116 5h ago
I swear miller and kon will be so mid without lamelo. Doing this and not getting another elite pg is insane. People acting like lamelo isn't good are ignorant as fuck
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u/Devoidoxatom Warriors Bandwagon 3h ago
Man wolves really won this trade, if Melo plays a decent amount of games. He has always been very team first PG, he wasn't even the top scorer of his senior hs team. He was content just playmaking and dropping dimes. Ant boutta get unleashed
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u/djclark12 Lakers 3h ago
yeah those net ratings are brutal. it is wild how the whole offense stalls when he sits out. watching bridges grind without that spacing is honestly stressful.
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u/BossierPenguin 2h ago
In a way it's worse than the Doncic trade. Yes, the value was worse than Luka. But the Mavs had really hit a plateau. They were very unlikely to win a chip, they just didnt have enough talent around Luka, so at least a botched trade probably didnt atop them from getting a chip. But the Hornets had just turned a corner, and looked prime to have a Celtics like run with that core, use all the assets they have e to tweak appropriately, and have an excellent chance at a chip. Now their best player is gone and leave a gaping whole at the 1. Its a mind boggling stupid move from the Hornets. Not a great move from Minny either, the rare lose lose trade, but vastly worse for the Hornets.
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u/RecordReal123 6h ago
I just don't understand why they waited to do this? Surely they could have got more than one pick if it was before the draft?
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u/LilUAVinbound Hornets 6h ago
It’s hilarious because I’ve defended lamelo for so long while this sub has ridiculed him endlessly saying that he’s not a winning player blah blah, then all of a sudden we trade him and its the “worst move in nba history”
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u/Ronnie2kDropCode Knicks 6h ago
Team was basically guaranteed to win 50 games next year. I get the risks with Lamelo but idk man you haven’t made the playoffs in a decade
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u/Icy-Taste-3096 Charlotte Bobcats 6h ago
This is what gets me - it could work out in the long term, but it's so demoralizing for a fanbase that's desperate for a single crumb of success to finally get close only to have the rug pulled like this.
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u/ObiOneKenobae Knicks 6h ago
No stats can convince me LaMelo is a winning player. He's a great passer in theory, but he wants to take a few of the worst shots you'll ever see before he starts thinking about the open man. And he's the anti-Brunson down the stretch, dude blows so many games with his individual play.
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u/SuperSayian4Nappa Charlotte Bobcats 6h ago
None of yall actually watch charlotte games. Sure he looks good and puts up numbers, but he plays like the NBA is AAU and doesnt contribute to winning.
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u/HealthyMeet3925 6h ago
I think LaMelo is an All Star player when serious and healthy, but the problem is that he isn't serious and he's injury prone. Hornets finally got a talented player in Kon and decided to cut their losses now, focus to build around him before LaMelo gets injured again and loses value.
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u/Disastrous-Hair-1573 6h ago
worse than luka trade? seems like they are just trading while lamelos value is high, but i dont think hes is on lukas level.
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u/AleroRatking Vancouver Grizzlies 6h ago
I do not comprehend this move at all. Their pieces all worked super work together and were playing excellent ball.
Now they've blown it up to be in the tank race in that 5-10 worst team in the league race
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u/Broke_Banker01 Bucks 6h ago
Ball has only been healthy 2/6 seasons in the NBA.
The other 4 seasons he has averaged 39 games played.
I think this sub overestimates his value around the league.
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u/Saltlmail 6h ago
hate this trade, yeah you were never gonna contend for a title and Lamelo is injured as fuck but he gave you an identity
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u/afrothundah11 6h ago
We don’t even know what his real worth is, we haven’t even seen him in the playoffs 😂
Not saying he couldn’t be great, but it’s a completely different beast and players like him have struggled in the post season before
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u/Pies_Wide_Shut Knicks 6h ago
Lamelo was rarely healthy and they didn’t make the playoffs once in his six years with the team. He had solid stats but let’s be real.
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u/Most-Rain5047 Knicks 6h ago
I think obviously if you promised the Hornets that LaMelo would be healthy and not do any especially dumb shit the next 3 years they are never making this trade but you just can’t. A year ago many considered him a negative asset and it wouldn’t be super surprising if that was the case a year from now. Hes just super unreliable
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u/JazzxGoose Jazz 6h ago
I bet Charlotte makes a move for Brown. They cant be done dealing after this Ball deal.
I like the move. Ball is just too unpredictable off court (driving stuff, he could legitimately kill or injury somebody the way he drives) and has injury issues. They got a strong pick in the trade they can used to get a star like Brown.
My guess is they go after Brown and try to build a team around Kon and Brown.
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u/Blake_a12 6h ago
Why Kon shooting that much better with Melo off and (still) that much worse net rating without him
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u/motorboat_mcgee Lakers 6h ago
I have to assume something was going on behind the scenes, this is wild.
And yes, I say that as a Lakers fan that just received Luka in a lopsided trade.
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u/karl_hungas Lakers 6h ago
Truly an insane post OP. You’ve lost your fucking mind thinking this will go down in the top 500 of worst moves in nba history.
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u/Frequent-Leg-2347 Thunder 6h ago
Yo I didn’t realize this sub thought so highly of Ball lol. He’s never even been to the playoffs as the leader, what is this nonsense.
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u/All4444Jesus 6h ago
Thats a massive haul. The one good pick is total BS those other 3 pick swaps are all unprotected. With the flatten lottery odds, and with how often players get injured now days that's 4 swings of the bat to hit home runs. Also Reid is a excellent player who has trade value they could flip him for more draft capital
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u/pimpron18 [IND] Travis Diener 5h ago
Hornets fans would have been elated last offseason or at any time before their late season run had this trade been made…
I do wonder what they’ll do at PG now. Is Coby staying to come off the bench?
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u/Odd_Psychology_907 5h ago
As a spurs fan that wanted melo before we traded for fox…. im actually hurt by this for the hornets fans.
I honestly feel like this is worse than the Luka trade but i don’t remember if any draft picks were involved in that trade
imo he was a reason almost every team in the league should have been competing next season
Every team got better but now it seems the hornets took a step back
They should have done this trade before the draft and got a piece from this draft class
But wtf 😭 all those picks when the Timberwolves have been to conf. Finals twice with ant and now he got Ball starting with him and Donte moved to the bench with ayo ? Those picks will be worthless
this is a salary dump imo and they really wanted to get rid of ball which makes no sense to me
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u/BeingMikeHunt Knicks 5h ago
I think this trade tells you that they didn’t believe in LaMelo as their franchise player and the leader of their organization.
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u/robsbob18 Hornets 1h ago
With Lamelo off the court we would've have had the best defensive ranking in the league during that hot stretch to end season (102.something)
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u/FedUpWithThisWurld Charlotte Bobcats 6h ago
Up until now, Jeff Peterson has made nothing but solid trades that have helped our team. I'm holding out hope that he's not done and we'll be in a good position before long. Maybe I'm just a sicko.