LaMelo Ball Signs Hornets Rookie Contract After Being Drafted No. 3 Overall

The Charlotte Hornets have signed point guard LaMelo Ball to a a rookie contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Ball played 12 games for the National Basketball League's Hawks team based out of Australia, averaging 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists in the professional league.

A foot injury (and subsequent rehab) led to Ball's season ending prematurely.

Ball is now the Hornets' franchise cornerstone after arriving in Charlotte as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He figures to share time with Devonte' Graham and Terry Rozier off the bat but should eventually be the Hornets' full-time starting point guard as he gets acclimated to the league.

Charlotte will have a new look next season as the team welcomed in Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward in free agency and waived forward Nicolas Batum. We'll soon find out if that's good enough for the Hornets to make a run to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, as the season is set to begin Dec. 22.