NBA Rumors: LaMelo Ball's $260M Hornets Max Contract Extension Details Revealed
Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball just signed a five-year, $260 million supermax extension to remain in town, and now news has emerged about a few other details in the deal.
According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Ball's contract is a straight five-year deal with no player option and includes a 15 percent trade kicker:
The 21-year-old Ball just finished his third NBA season. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 draft averaged 23.3 points, 8.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds in an injury-shortened campaign (36 games) last year.
Of note, Ball suffered a preseason left ankle sprain that was re-aggravated twice, and he also sustained a season-ending right ankle fracture on Feb. 27 against the Detroit Pistons.
There's no denying Ball's tremendous talent, and re-signing him was an easy move for the Hornets to make. He's the face of the franchise and the Hornets' best chance to finally break through to the playoffs after seven seasons outside of the picture.
It's clear Ball has the desire to be the best in the league, as evidenced by his comments while signing his new contract:
The questions now are whether Ball can remain healthy, how much he can improve off an already great start and whether the Hornets are able to build a suitable roster around him to bring out the best of his abilities.
Charlotte is banking on Alabama forward Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft, to help facilitate that growth as the team looks to rebound from a 27-55 campaign.
Ultimately, Ball is officially the long-term franchise cornerstone now after the supermax deal, and we'll see where the Hornets go from here as they look to get out of the back half of the standings.
