LiAngelo Ball Waived by Hornets Ahead of Reported G League Move

The Charlotte Hornets waived shooting guard LiAngelo Ball on Friday, according to Arash Markazi of The Mightier 1090.

It was an expected move, as the Hornets are reportedly planning to sign Ball to their G League team, the Greensboro Swarm, in short order.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported Thursday that the Hornets signed Ball to a nonguaranteed contract with the intention of waiving him and moving him to the G League.

In five games as a member of the Hornets' Las Vegas Summer League team, Ball impressed with 9.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in just 17.4 minutes per contest.

The 22-year-old Ball's younger brother, LaMelo Ball, is the Hornets' star player, while his older brother, Lonzo Ball, plays for the Chicago Bulls after previous stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.

LiAngelo enrolled to play college basketball at UCLA, but he never played a regular-season game for the Bruins, as he was suspended in November 2017 for allegedly shoplifting during a team trip in China.

Ball withdrew from UCLA shortly thereafter and went on to spend time playing for Prienai in the Lithuanian Basketball League and the Los Angeles Ballers of the Junior Basketball Association.

While LiAngelo isn't considered to be as talented as LaMelo or Lonzo, he has a chance to carve out a solid career for himself.

In addition to being able to shoot the ball from long range, LiAngelo is a quality defender. Three-and-D players are in high demand in the NBA, meaning he may have a future in the league.

First, Ball will attempt to prove himself at the G League level in 2021-22, which represents his best chance to get on the NBA radar yet.