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In the midst of a potentially franchise-altering NBA Draft, some teams are positioned to pivot, and others looking reshape their entire identity with the drop of a lottery ball. The Charlotte Hornets fall somewhere in between.
With a young core centered around LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, the ingredients for promise are there. But Ball’s injury history and freewheeling style of play leave a lingering question. Is this really the duo to build around for the future?
Meanwhile, in Memphis, the Ja Morant saga is reaching a difficult point. He’s electric on the court, exhausting off it. The Grizzlies have supported their star through suspensions and controversies, but the patience, even in loyal front offices, has a shelf life. Which begs the question of a blockbuster deal. Charlotte Hornets trade LaMelo Ball to the Memphis Grizzlies for Ja Morant.
A one-for-one swap. The kind of deal that feels risky, and yet, weirdly inevitable.
Why This Works for Memphis: Stability, Vision, and the Longevity Bet
Let’s start with Memphis. The Morant experience has been, well… complicated. Thrilling in motion, turbulent in the margins. While the Grizzlies have publicly stood by him, there’s a growing sense inside and outside the building that it might be time for a reset. Ball could bring that to the table.
At 6'7" with elite court vision, a silky handle, and a more composed, pass-first rhythm, Ball offers a stylistic pivot. He’s the anti-Ja in many ways—less dependent on athleticism and more dependent on pace and basketball IQ.
NBA analyst Bill Simmons brought up Morant's future recently. “If you’re Memphis, at some point you have to think, ‘Is Ja Morant the guy you want to build around long-term? LaMelo gives you a completely different energy—he’s taller, maybe even more unselfish," Simmons said. "I think it’s a home run for them.”
And the fit? Kind of seamless. With Desmond Bane stretching the floor, Jaren Jackson Jr. (who already floated along the perimeter against OKC) anchoring the defense, and maybe Zach Edey developing into a pick-and-roll lob threat, Ball could be the orchestrator Memphis has never quite had.
Fewer off-court headlines. More basketball with less chaos and more continuity.
Why It Makes Sense for Charlotte: Star Power and Southern Swagger
Flip the script. Charlotte is giving up a rare passer in Ball—but what has it amounted to? Multiple injuries. Coaching carousels. A graveyard of 26-win seasons.
“I’ve made this joke many times,” Simmons said. “His destiny might be an awesome Basketball Reference page and TikTok clips of... ‘this guy was a problem’… and that might be it.”
Morant comes with grenades and all. He brings juice. He’s a box-office draw. A walking highlight who commands the room and gives the franchise relevance overnight.
“If you’re Charlotte, you need a guy who can get butts in seats,” Simmons added. “Ja Morant in that city? That’s Allen Iverson energy in a smaller market.”
The fit? Surprisingly natural. Morant is from South Carolina, played college ball at Murray State, and brings a regional gravitational pull. Combine that with Brandon Miller’s rise as a legitimate two-way wing and a top-five pick in the 2025 draft, and the Hornets would finally have a nucleus worth watching.
Morant gives Charlotte something it hasn’t had since the Kemba years, which is a true alpha. And this time, the ceiling is way higher.
A Trade of Identities
Memphis trades volatility for vision. Charlotte trades finesse for fire. Each team inherits a player better suited to its next chapter. Memphis becomes longer, calmer, more system-oriented. A team that already knows how to defend gains more creative control on offense. While Charlotte gets a lightning rod. A slasher that plays above the rim. A franchise long stuck in neutral hits the gas.
And the players? They win, too.
LaMelo gets the playoff infrastructure he’s never had. Ja gets a fresh start in a region that’s already all-in. Yes, there are risks. LaMelo’s ankles. Ja’s maturity. A few bad headlines, a few too many DNPs. But the NBA is a momentum league, and neither of these franchises has much right now.
This trade doesn’t just fill needs—it reboots stories. In a league where narrative is half the game, that might be the most valuable thing of all. If we ever get a LaMelo-for-Ja trade, half-joking....it’ll break the Internet… and maybe fix two franchises at once.”
Ja Morant to Charlotte Hornets
Current Salary: $36,725,670
Remaining Contract: 3 years, $126,499,530
Team Cap Status Will be a 1st apron (hard-capped) team
Outgoing Cap: $35,147,000
Allowable Incoming Cap: $44,183,750
Incoming Cap: $36,725,670
Cap Difference: -$1,578,670
LaMelo Ball to Memphis Grizzlies
Current Salary: $35,147,000/year
Remaining Contract: 4 years, $168,705,600
Team Cap Status Will be a 1st apron (hard-capped) team
Outgoing Cap: $36,725,670
Allowable Incoming Cap: $46,157,088
Incoming Cap: $35,147,000
Cap Difference: +$1,578,670
One Blockbuster Trade the Hornets Could Pull Off for $195 million All-Star first appeared on Athlon Sports on May 22, 2025
Continue reading...
With a young core centered around LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, the ingredients for promise are there. But Ball’s injury history and freewheeling style of play leave a lingering question. Is this really the duo to build around for the future?
Meanwhile, in Memphis, the Ja Morant saga is reaching a difficult point. He’s electric on the court, exhausting off it. The Grizzlies have supported their star through suspensions and controversies, but the patience, even in loyal front offices, has a shelf life. Which begs the question of a blockbuster deal. Charlotte Hornets trade LaMelo Ball to the Memphis Grizzlies for Ja Morant.
A one-for-one swap. The kind of deal that feels risky, and yet, weirdly inevitable.
Why This Works for Memphis: Stability, Vision, and the Longevity Bet
Let’s start with Memphis. The Morant experience has been, well… complicated. Thrilling in motion, turbulent in the margins. While the Grizzlies have publicly stood by him, there’s a growing sense inside and outside the building that it might be time for a reset. Ball could bring that to the table.
At 6'7" with elite court vision, a silky handle, and a more composed, pass-first rhythm, Ball offers a stylistic pivot. He’s the anti-Ja in many ways—less dependent on athleticism and more dependent on pace and basketball IQ.
NBA analyst Bill Simmons brought up Morant's future recently. “If you’re Memphis, at some point you have to think, ‘Is Ja Morant the guy you want to build around long-term? LaMelo gives you a completely different energy—he’s taller, maybe even more unselfish," Simmons said. "I think it’s a home run for them.”
And the fit? Kind of seamless. With Desmond Bane stretching the floor, Jaren Jackson Jr. (who already floated along the perimeter against OKC) anchoring the defense, and maybe Zach Edey developing into a pick-and-roll lob threat, Ball could be the orchestrator Memphis has never quite had.
Fewer off-court headlines. More basketball with less chaos and more continuity.
Why It Makes Sense for Charlotte: Star Power and Southern Swagger
Flip the script. Charlotte is giving up a rare passer in Ball—but what has it amounted to? Multiple injuries. Coaching carousels. A graveyard of 26-win seasons.
“I’ve made this joke many times,” Simmons said. “His destiny might be an awesome Basketball Reference page and TikTok clips of... ‘this guy was a problem’… and that might be it.”
Morant comes with grenades and all. He brings juice. He’s a box-office draw. A walking highlight who commands the room and gives the franchise relevance overnight.
“If you’re Charlotte, you need a guy who can get butts in seats,” Simmons added. “Ja Morant in that city? That’s Allen Iverson energy in a smaller market.”
The fit? Surprisingly natural. Morant is from South Carolina, played college ball at Murray State, and brings a regional gravitational pull. Combine that with Brandon Miller’s rise as a legitimate two-way wing and a top-five pick in the 2025 draft, and the Hornets would finally have a nucleus worth watching.
Morant gives Charlotte something it hasn’t had since the Kemba years, which is a true alpha. And this time, the ceiling is way higher.
Related: NBA executives say one Hornets player is 'untouchable' and it's not LaMelo Ball, per report
A Trade of Identities
Memphis trades volatility for vision. Charlotte trades finesse for fire. Each team inherits a player better suited to its next chapter. Memphis becomes longer, calmer, more system-oriented. A team that already knows how to defend gains more creative control on offense. While Charlotte gets a lightning rod. A slasher that plays above the rim. A franchise long stuck in neutral hits the gas.
And the players? They win, too.
LaMelo gets the playoff infrastructure he’s never had. Ja gets a fresh start in a region that’s already all-in. Yes, there are risks. LaMelo’s ankles. Ja’s maturity. A few bad headlines, a few too many DNPs. But the NBA is a momentum league, and neither of these franchises has much right now.
This trade doesn’t just fill needs—it reboots stories. In a league where narrative is half the game, that might be the most valuable thing of all. If we ever get a LaMelo-for-Ja trade, half-joking....it’ll break the Internet… and maybe fix two franchises at once.”
Ja Morant to Charlotte Hornets
Current Salary: $36,725,670
Remaining Contract: 3 years, $126,499,530
Team Cap Status Will be a 1st apron (hard-capped) team
Outgoing Cap: $35,147,000
Allowable Incoming Cap: $44,183,750
Incoming Cap: $36,725,670
Cap Difference: -$1,578,670
LaMelo Ball to Memphis Grizzlies
Current Salary: $35,147,000/year
Remaining Contract: 4 years, $168,705,600
Team Cap Status Will be a 1st apron (hard-capped) team
Outgoing Cap: $36,725,670
Allowable Incoming Cap: $46,157,088
Incoming Cap: $35,147,000
Cap Difference: +$1,578,670
One Blockbuster Trade the Hornets Could Pull Off for $195 million All-Star first appeared on Athlon Sports on May 22, 2025
Continue reading...
