LaMelo Ball Rumors: Some with Hornets Want to Draft PG Amid Wiseman Buzz

Some members of the Charlotte Hornets front office reportedly want the franchise to select point guard LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft Wednesday night.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer broke down the Hornets' draft outlook Tuesday:

"No one knows exactly what Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak is thinking or what type of influence team owner Michael Jordan will have over the team's selection. League sources have long said the Hornets' preference is to trade up for [James] Wiseman or pick [Onyeka] Okongwu. Both would be great frontcourt fits next to PJ Washington. However, league sources say there are people within Charlotte's front office—possibly even MJ himself—who want LaMelo. Taking Ball wouldn't necessarily mean keeping him, though; teams like [the] Detroit [Pistons] or New York [Knicks] could trade up to this spot, and Okongwu would likely still be on the board later on."

Charlotte has extreme flexibility heading into the draft. Not only does the team have needs at pretty much every position after a disappointing 23-42 season, but none of its players are under contract for any longer than three more years, per Spotrac.

The lack of long-term, lucrative financial commitments gives the front office a great chance to do a full-scale rebuilding process without having to find takers for bloated contracts.

So perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise the Hornets' pick at No. 3 will likely be the draft's first major turning point. They could target any number of prospects or trade down to accumulate more assets.

Ball is a strong bet to land somewhere in the top five when the dust settles Wednesday night. The 19-year-old California native possesses an intriguing all-around skill set that, when paired with his 6'7" frame, give him ample upside.

He's also already played at the professional level, averaging 17 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 14 games for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia's NBL.

The main concern he faces is the same one that followed his brother, Lonzo Ball, heading into the 2017 draft: can he improve enough as a shooter to become a bona fide superstar?

LaMelo made just 37.5 percent of his shot attempts in Australia, including 25 percent from three-point range. It was a limited sample size, but the question mark existed before he arrived to the Hawks and his performance there didn't answer it.

If the Hornets aren't confident he's a true franchise cornerstone, they can probably move down a few spots and still have a good chance at Okongwu to bolster their frontcourt and add some future picks.

It's one of numerous possibilities for Charlotte and the situation as a whole gives Mitch Kupchak an opportunity to leverage the No. 3 pick into a franchise-altering night for the Hornets.