Trade proposals centered around LaMelo Ball and Lakers guard have to stop

LaMelo Ball is the Charlotte Hornets' franchise player. How long that remains true is up in the air. His recent contract has him suiting up for the team through the 2028-29 seasons, and there has been no indication of the young star wanting to leave town before the end of the contract.

Still, some talking heads have called on Ball to ask for a trade to a contender or a bigger market — because they apparently think that's the only way for any star or aspiring superstar to succeed.

At least the reason his father, LaVar, suggested a move to the LA Clippers was so the Ball brothers could play together. But even that suggestion may be out of the window, as the Ball patriarch hinted at something huge going down in Charlotte.

It's delusional to believe Hornets want Lakers point guard

There's nothing wrong with creating mock drafts to check what realistic LaMelo Ball deals are available out there. It's also fine to look for possible trade packages that would have the 23-year-old floor general ending up on the Los Angeles Lakers, as some folks believe LeBron James and Anthony Davis need more help to win a championship.

What's borderline insane, though, is trying to come up with different combinations of trade packages headlined by Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell, something that continues to happen to this day.

At 28 years old, Russell is hardly an enticing return for the Hornets because he virtually has a negative trade value. He even lost his starting spot to rookie Dalton Knecht, who might actually be more intriguing for Charlotte than the 2015 second overall pick. Also, keep in mind that Los Angeles shipped him out partly to make room for its impending selection of Lonzo Ball in the 2017 draft.

Perhaps if the Lakers have multiple first-round selections in the next few years to offer, the Hornets would pick up the phone and negotiate. However, Los Angeles' cupboard of draft assets is almost dry, with its earliest tradable first-round pick being in 2029. The Hive fans would be in an uproar if the squad agreed to give LaMelo Ball up in exchange for hopefully a high draft selection five years from now.

But what if LaMelo Ball demands a trade to the Lake Show — despite LaVar Ball not wanting to do anything anymore with that franchise?

The good news for the Hornets is they have the leverage in such a scenario. The past seasons have seen some organizations not acquiesce to their stars' demand to be shipped to their preferred destination in order to get the maximum trade return possible. For instance, in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers were open to sending Damian Lillard to any team except the Miami Heat, the only destination on his wish list.

Of course, the dream is that LaMelo Ball's situation won't have to come down to that in Charlotte.