This Bulls-Hornets trade would finally fulfill LaVar Ball’s lifelong fantasy

The NBA trade deadline looms large on the distant horizon, and several teams are expected to be active participants.

Perhaps the most obvious seller is the Chicago Bulls, who would love to discard their veterans in order to embrace a full-blown rebuild. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are well-documented trade fodder, but the Bulls will also listen to offers for another expensive vet: Lonzo Ball.

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the former No. 2 pick is available — along with the rest of Chicago's roster. Lonzo has only appeared in four games this season after missing two years with a severe knee ailment, but his expiring $21.4 million contract is an intriguing trade chip. He's also a winning player on paper, the sort of 3-and-D connector every contender covets. There's understandable skepticism of Ball's ability to rekindle his pre-injury form, but the skill set is widely needed around the NBA.

Of the teams who can afford to absorb Lonzo's contract, few stand out more than the Charlotte Hornets. The appeal here is obvious — we'd finally get to see Lonzo and LaMelo Ball on the same team. That fantasy is probably best attributed to LaVar Ball, their overzealous father, but we've all thought about it at one point or another. Is now the right time?

LaVar certainly seems to be hinting at a potential brotherly reunion.

"We don't need that guy," the elder Ball said during a live stream after Hornets wing Cody Martin missed a free throw. "Don't worry about it. Help is coming."

That is, uh, not the ideal way to talk about your son's teammates, but it's hard not to read into LaVar's meaning here. We all know how he operates.

Here's what a Lonzo-to-Charlotte trade might look like.

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This Bulls-Hornets trade would finally pair Lonzo and LaMelo Ball in Charlotte

The Bulls essentially get a second-round pick as incentive to absorb some of Charlotte's long-term contracts. Both Grant Williams (signed through 2027) and Cody Martin (signed through 2026) are fine role players, but neither factors strongly into Charlotte's future. Williams, moreover, recently suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

Chicago can afford to operate patiently while hoping to flip Williams and Martin further down the road. The Hornets get Lonzo and, more importantly, his giant expiring contract, which opens up a ton of flexibility in free agency. If Lonzo performs, Charlotte will get the upper-hand in re-signing him thanks to LaMelo. If he doesn't perform, well, the Hornets can cut bait and use that money elsewhere.

The on-court fit between LaMelo and Lonzo is utterly fascinating. Neither has ever been the cookie-cutter ball-handler traditionalists want them to be. LaMelo has more on-ball wiggle, but he's at his best pushing the tempo, getting rid of the ball quickly, and operating as an up-tempo connector. Lonzo is more or less boxed into a secondary role. He can set up the offense here and there, but Lonzo won't create his own shots — he's at his best firing off the catch and making decisive passes in the flow of the offense.

Both are incredibly smart floor-raisers who should elevate those around them. The Hornets would be wise to pair them with another dynamic backcourt creator, whether that's Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, or both. LaMelo and Lonzo are both listed in that 6-foot-7 range, which helps in terms of lineup flexibility. LaMelo has never put it together on defense, but pre-injury Lonzo was among the most disruptive perimeter stoppers in the NBA. It'll probably take him time to get back to that form — if he ever does — but both brothers should complement each other in compelling ways.

This should happen just so we can say it did. That's not good front office process, but hey, there are actual reasons to push this over the finish line. If it inspires a new level of production from LaMelo and Lonzo, who made fireworks on the regular in high school, that's even better.