In The Stein Line’s latest rumor roundup, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer’s focus is on the Cavaliers’ James Harden-centric trade negotiations with the Los Angeles Clippers. However, there was a subtly striking tidbit about Cleveland’s discussions surrounding another pair of point guards:
“Sources say there has been some preliminary conversation between the Cavaliers and Hornets about Ball trade constructions that could furnish Charlotte with second-round draft capital and thus enable the Hornets to pair the elder Ball with his younger brother LaMelo,” the report reads. “Charlotte, Brooklyn and Utah, according to league sources, are all teams that have been looking to facilitate multi-team trades or take on unwanted salary in exchange for draft pick compensation.”
Cavs, Hornets Hold Preliminary Convos About Lonzo Ball-LaMelo Ball Trade
Two-thirds of ‘The Ball Brothers,’ Cavs point guard Lonzo Ball and Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball both entered the league with plenty of pageantry.
Lo. Ball, the eldest brother, received just about every major honor a basketball player could get in high school. Just after leaving UCLA, he was getting compared to Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson. Then Johnson drafted him to play for the Los Angeles Lakers.
La. Ball, the youngest brother, received national attention not only for his play but for leaving the beaten path. He skipped his junior year of high school and signed with Lithuania’s Prienai. After returning to high school for his senior year, he signed with Australia’s Illawara Hawks instead of going to college, winning NBL Rookie of the Year.
Today, they’re both more or less household names for NBA fans. This is, in part, because of their father’s lively and larger-than-life persona. However, they both earned the attention they received as well.
What Would Lonzo Bring To Charlotte?
Though he battled through several injuries, foreshadowing what would become a career-long issue, Lo. Ball got off to a promising start with the league’s most recognizable franchise. He failed to keep his momentum though and was soon traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. There, he rediscovered his 3-ball, allowing the other parts of his game to be better aestheticized. Up until the eventually complex knee injury he suffered with the Chicago Bulls in 2022, he was actually considered one of the NBA’s better point guards.
Last season, Ball returned to the court after a two-year absence. Though his shot wasn’t falling, the Bulls were appreciative of his instincts at both ends of the floor. This led them to reward him with a two-year, $20 million contract extension. However, they traded him four months later, the Cavs determined to prune Isaac Okoro‘s salary from their budget.
This season, Ball has already played as many games (35) as he did in all of 2024-25. Even so, for the second consecutive season, his shot hasn’t been dropping. The result: Cleveland’s already trying to offload his contract.
Filling In For Little Bro
La. Ball has his warts but what’s never been questioned is his passing prowess. For the most part, having a facilitator of that caliber is what people fantasize about. However, when that player has excessive overconfidence, it can be a midsummer’s night dream; a fever dream. When that player is hurt and there’s nobody that can take the reins, it’s a nightmare.
This is one of Hornets head coach Charles Lee’s unspoken conundrums. Though he has multiple rotation-level guards, Ball is the only one that consistently facilitates at a high level.
Lo. Ball would change that. He’s not quite as creative as his brother off the bounce; his passes are less likely to wow than to simply work. Regardless, he’s an adroit passer who delivers the ball on-time and on-target. His IQ is so high, he’ll know his teammates are open before they know they’re open.
With that in mind, Lee has developed a fascination with rookie Sion James, a defensive-minded connector who primarily plays point guard. The problem is that James isn’t a true point guard, neither in the traditional nor modern sense. Ball certainly isn’t guaranteed to supplant him in the rotation. Indeed, former Cavs guard Collin Sexton is more likely to be a victim of Ball’s arrival than him. To that point, Lee has a certain aversion to playing the scoring-minded combo guard, James often starting over or coming into the game before Sexton.
Nevertheless, Ball gives the bench a more natural and instinctive facilitator, no matter who comes up on the short end.
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