NBA trade season is officially upon us. Maybe. Trade rumors are always tricky to gauge from the outside looking in, but it's undeniable that LaMelo Ball is making a pass through the rumor mill. Now, for what it's worth, he has disputed that notion, but it's still the buzziest topic in the land of hypothetical blockbusters.
Especially when the options being thrown around are just oozing with intrigue. Like this one put together by the folks over at the Third Apron podcast.
This would be a high-risk, high-reward deal for the Bucks
Milwaukee fans probably wouldn't be initially enamored by this deal. The price is fine—there's real bargain potential if Ball ever stays healthy—but the fit is funky. Would there be any reason to believe the two-man game between Ball and Giannis Antetokounmpo could perform at a higher level than the Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard duo that never scaled this league's greatest heights?
And, while it feels a little funny to say this about someone who entered the campaign as an afterthought, would the Bucks be at all worried about impacting Ryan Rollins' ascension? You never want to say that a single month has changed the entire course of a player's career, but he's been awesome: 18.3 points on 51.1/44.3/80 shooting with 5.9 assists against 2.5 turnovers. And since he's a 23-year-old who just became a rotation regular last season, maybe we're all just watching his light bulb click.
Then again, given the Bucks' budget constraints (they have a single first-round pick (2031 or 2032) and zero second-rounders to deal), the constant worries about Antetokounmpo perhaps wanting out, and the inability for this offense to function without him, can they really afford to overlook the chance to add a 24-year-old who ranks favorably among the Association's most skilled offensive players?
Ball's passing prowess, unlimited shooting range, and the defensive attention he demands would all be huge on-court helps for Antetokounmpo. The backcourt should be big enough for both Ball and Rollins to play together, too. And maybe being in an environment more conducive to winning would help channel Ball's energy into playing with more substance than sizzle.
Guard isn't the biggest positional need for the Bucks (Kevin Porter Jr. should be back from knee surgery relatively soon), but a legitimate co-star for Antetokounmpo tops the wish list. Adding Ball would not only scratch that itch, it would also give Milwaukee a centerpiece to build around should Antetokounmpo eventually still decide to depart.
The Hornets are a harder—but not impossible—sell.
Charlotte fans who see this pitched package might all uncork the same reaction: That's it? A couple replacement-level 30-year-olds and a single first-round pick for our franchise player?!
That's a fair reaction, but in all honesty, Ball's trade value is a complete guessing game. He has the name recognition, highlight reel, and social-media presence of a mega-star, but he's only once been named an All-Star, has never led his team to the playoffs, and is constantly being questioned about whether his aesthetically pleasing play style can actually lead to victories.
And that's without bringing up the obvious—and mountainous—availability concerns. This is his sixth season in the NBA. He's only played more than 51 games in a season once. Over the past three seasons, he has appeared in 105 of a possible 246 contests.
The only real certainty he provides is the massive salary attached to him: $38 million this season and another $130.7 million over the next three. With everyone watching their spending more closely in this era of aprons, that's an awful lot of money to spend on a player who has, in recent seasons at least, sat more often than he's played.
Maybe his talent level still convinces someone to place a more aggressive offer than this, but Kuzma and Portis are both playable and seemingly tradeable, and the first-round pick, if left unprotected, could prove immensely valuable down the line given Antetokounmpo's long-term uncertainty. That doesn't mean the Hornets would deem this offer as good enough, but it's hardly insulting.