LaMelo Ball
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LaMelo Ball was recently named the NBA's most overrated player.
In six NBA seasons,LaMelo Ball has proven to be one of the league’s most polarizing players. He was selected third overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and was supposed to be a foundational piece for theCharlotte Hornets, but the team has missed the postseason every year since his debut.
That’s one of many reasons why Ball was named the most overrated player in the NBA in a recent article byBleacher Report’s Zach Buckley. The focus of the story is to identify names where the “public perception about these players outpaces their actual production and impact on winning.”
Ball has displayed some of the best ball-handling and court vision in the league, but it just hasn’t translated to much success for his team. He was named an All-Star in 2022, but injuries sapped him of his tantalizing ability in his five other NBA seasons. With the Hornets now stocked with someultra-young talent, Lamelo could be moved for more assets at the trade deadline.
LaMelo Ball Has Underwhelmed In His Career
The Hornets were a struggling organization before Ball, and they hoped to change their fortunes by selecting him with a top-five pick in the draft. His unique skillset and size for a point guard earned him strong reviews fromevaluators and fans.
Charlotte hasn’t gotten much right from an organizational standpoint since drafting the guard, but Buckley points out his talent and subsequent hype from fans does not align with what has actually occurred on the court.
“Should he solely be blamed for all of the Hornets’ losing ways? Of course not,” he wrote. “But you’d expect him to be this transcendent talent, and in reality, he’s someone whose on-court presence has only helped his team by 1.5 points per 100 possessions for his career.”
Buckley dove a little further into the numbers, revealing Ball has been closer to a league-average guard in his career than the perennial All-Star his abilities indicate he should be.
“Despite possessing some of the deepest range in the business, he’s just average in accuracy (career 36.5 percent) due to his wildly ambitious shot selection,” Buckley wrote. “He makes preternatural-type passes, but he also takes a lot of unnecessary risks, resulting in a good-not-great 7.5 assists against 3.4 turnovers.”
LaMelo Ball Trade Rumors
Ball has been the subject of trade rumors since sustainingseason-ending ankle and wrist injuries last year, and they have only intensified as the 2025-26 trade deadline draws closer.
TheToronto Raptors reportedly checked in on Ball’s availability this offseason, and he could be a fit for the team, which needs a point guard. TheMinnesota Timberwolves are in the same camp, needing a playmaker opposite ofAnthony Edwards. TheSacramento Kings andNew Orleans Pelicans have also beenfloated as teams that would want to take a chance on Ball, who is still just 24-years-old.
One thing that could hold up a Ball trade, however, is how he is perceived in scouting circles. An anonymous Western Conference executive recently toldESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks that front offices question Ball’s seriousness about basketball. The talent is certainly there, but will it be worth the baggage?