NBA basement dwellers are a funny thing, especially ones with established centerpieces. Take the 2015-16 Nets, or Michael Redd's Bucks. In many ways, those types of teams are trapped in the worst kind of limbo imaginable: halfway between the No Man's Land of a mid-tier playoff seed at best and a war with the fans as they desperately try to negotiate the timelines of both their star and new draft picks in the middle of a bottom-tier season at worst.
Luckily, the Charlotte Hornets, while in that stage now, have a golden opportunity presented by the rapid development of their current rookies. And yes, 'rookies', plural.
Kon Knueppel has already taken headlines and the lead in the Rookie of the Year race, averaging 19.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists), but second round pick Ryan Kalkbrenner might have become an even bigger surprise through the early portion of the season.
Outside of blocked shots -- he's third in the NBA at 1.8 -- Kalkbrenner's counting stats might be nothing to write home about on their own (9.4 points, 6.9 rebounds), but he's ridiculously efficient on the offensive end. Kalkbrenner actually leads the entire NBA in effective field goal percentage at 80.5 without shooting any 3s, leads his rookie class in offensive rebounds per game, and his 18.67 PER ranks second in the class as well. Safe to say that both rookies have already cemented their futures as part of the Hornets organization.
But where does that leave the rest of Charlotte's core?
Let's summarize the Hornets' current core as thus: Knueppel, Kalkbrenner, Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller, and LaMelo Ball. All five are currently under contract at least through the 2026-27 season, and Knueppel and Kalkbrenner have already been discussed as parts of the organization's future.
Moving onto the other names, Miller is still just a year and change removed from coming in third in the 2024 ROY race. Fan memories are short and fickle, and an injury-plagued sophomore campaign from him is still at the front of minds for many -- but rest assured that he is still a stud whenever he touches the court. Due to his legal troubles, Bridges will likely always remain a bargain of a player that can put up 20/5/5 on literally any given night.
Which brings us to Ball: the Hornets' sole All-Star representative since Kemba Walker over half a decade ago. And since that singular All-Star campaign, Ball has failed to play at least 50 games in every season. And while his numbers have stayed consistent while he's been on the court, Ball's game has failed to grow in any meaningful way throughout his young career.
Meanwhile, Charlotte as a team has simply regressed under his tenure. It's hard to forget the mental image of him laughing from the bench with his team getting blown out. Maybe winning is not as important to Ball as it would be for most other franchise cornerstones, but for a player to be considered as one of those, that is the burden that must be borne. And say what you want about the Hornets now, but at least Knueppel, Kalkbrenner, and Bridges are both available and taking their time on the court seriously.
Meanwhile, other point guards languish on Charlotte's bench: Collin Sexton is averaging over 16 points per game and coming second on the team in assists, and let's not forget that Tre Mann was a first round pick just a few years ago. Ball's stranglehold at the top of Charlotte's depth chart (when healthy) is stealing valuable minutes from both a veteran and a young prospect that fits on the same timeline as Charlotte's rookies. Charlotte can use these two players.
Now, moving Ball is going to be tough. He's still in the middle of a massive $200+ million contract, and has enough of an injury to give any potential trade partner pause. But at this point, Charlotte is in a better spot than most basement dwellers to move on from his albatross of a deal, even at a slight loss. Because while his stats look good on paper, Ball is simply dead weight that the Hornets need to cut -- especially now that they could have a real future ahead of them.