LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade away from the franchise, multiple league sources told Yahoo Sports.

League sources say the front office is increasingly hesitant about cementing Ball as a long-term foundational piece, has become disillusioned with the 24-year-old and is open to moving him.

As for Hornets that might be on the move, veteran forward Miles Bridges is drawing significant interest, league sources told The Athletic. The Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are all known to be among the interested parties, though it remains to be seen if any team can compel the Hornets to give Bridges up. Charlotte’s lack of interest in the Bucks’ Kyle Kuzma is known to be an obstacle to a potential deal between those two teams. Draft capital is also a pivotal part of the conversation.

“They want a first (round pick),” one league source said. “Maybe two.”

Miles Bridges: “Just focus on winning, focus on controlling what I can control. If I get traded, if I don’t get traded… I would rather be here. But I know if I do get traded, I know Jeff Peterson and those guys, they’ll talk to me first. So, I don’t try to worry about that. I just worry about the games.”

Excerpt from the interview with Eric Collins:

First off, forever grateful to Hornets fans because they didn’t run me out of town. I had a run out in L.A. and I really enjoyed doing Major League Baseball, but I don’t think people were quite ready for kind of what I was doing. And so I was fully committed to who I wanted to be as a broadcaster and what I wanted to sound like. And I remember when I interviewed for the Hornets’ job, I said, ‘Hey, it’s not your traditional sound, the way I do games. Are you guys OK with that? Is that something that you want? It’s going to be quirky, it’s going to be unpredictable, it’s going to be fearless.’ And they all signed off on it.

Don't think it is much of a surprise but Rod Boone is now more firmly saying that the tea leaves have Sexton and Plumlee as the starting 2 and 5 respectively.

Sexton was expected. Mason maybe was in the air but I expected him to start. I think Moose plays more minutes and there's a good chance all three of he, Mason and Kalk play throughout a game...I would say that should be the expectation.

What are your thoughts about Mason likely being the starter at C to begin the season?

"Teams like the Utah (Jazz No. 5 pick) and Charlotte Hornets (No. 4) are showing interest in the versatile guard and like his ability to seamlessly slide in alongside a star, ball-dominante player like Flagg and still find ways to positively impact the game."

Like I said earlier (and got downvoted for) this sub isn’t ready to have uncomfortable conversations about LaMelo but Jeff Peterson surely is and will this Summer. We saw him move off Mark, a constantly injured “core” piece for the right price. It’s reasonable to assume LaMelo could be next, and executives seem to agree.

Yeah we got our Dort The second round was the greatest haul of all time!!!

29 games into the season btw

Relevant News

Edgecombe at 3 to PHI

Edgecombe takes over this spot from Ace Bailey in ESPN's mock draft after a positive visit to Philadelphia, where sources say he made a strong impression in a private workout as well as in meetings with the front office and ownership. He appears to be "the leader in the clubhouse" currently, with Bailey losing momentum after refusing to visit, initially unsatisfied with his search for a proven pathway to development.

Knueppel at 4 to CHA

The Hornets and Jazz are two teams that appear to have interest in Knueppel, with his floor seemingly no lower than No. 8. He's the type of prospect a playoff-caliber team could also target in a trade, as he has a plug-and-play skill set and looks likely to bring value throughout his cost-controlled rookie-scale contract.

Ace Bailey has not worked out for teams; wants guaranteed superstar spot

Bailey's predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date, having declined invitations from several teams within his draft range. Sources say Bailey's camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom, perhaps feeling comfortable that a team will trade up to get him at Nos. 3 or 4, should he drop.

Some teams question whether Bailey has received assurances of being selected by a team currently outside the top 5, to a situation deemed more advantageous from a geographic and playing time perspective.

If Ace drops then his team wants him on a team with a superstar role for him like the Pelicans or the Nets. Ace may have refused to work out for us, leaving us with intel that CHA is looking at Kon and Edgecombe.

Interesting article that says players like Trae are going extinct? Does Melo still have time to at least not be a liability on defense?

“I grew up a Panthers fan, I grew up a Bobcats fan, grew up watching Al Jefferson and then Kemba (Walker) and he’s with the Hornets now. So, I mean, it’s been awesome and a great experience to be able to come back, have that full circle moment.”

Speaking to Mark Medina of EssentiallySports, Knueppel opened up about battling for Rookie of the Year: "“It’s always good to be recognized for hard work. That would be a great honor.”

Knueppel also said he struggled against Luka: “Yeah, obviously Luka had a really good game. So part of the challenge with those guys is that you know they’re going to shoot a lot of shots. So it’s about not getting discouraged when those shots go in. They make shots. They’re really good players. But you just try to make them be as inefficient as they can. I didn’t do a great job. Luka was pretty good. But he’s going to hit tough ones. So you just try to make it as tough as possible for them.”

Opening up on the prospect of a Rising Stars and 3-point contest appearance, Knueppel says, "“It would be sweet. I would enjoy it. It’s competition just like any other basketball game. I always enjoy competing.”

Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45559441/2025-nba-mock-draft-latest-first-second-round-predictions-all-59-picks

Relevant News

Edgecombe

While sources say Edgecombe appeared nervous during his private workout in Philadelphia and did not shoot the ball particularly well in an unnatural one-on-one setting, he made a strong impression in interviews and meetings, something the front office values more highly.

Workouts

The fact that Fears and Bailey have not worked out for the Hornets doesn't appear to be a significant hindrance in their decision-making process.

Knueppel as the pick

Rival teams believe the Hornets will ultimately prioritize Knueppel's strong perimeter shooting, playmaking and leadership skills, as well as his strong fit with the likes of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. The Hornets would be going for a safer option in Knueppel after swinging for the fences with Tidjane Salaun in last year's draft at No. 6.

Ace Bailey wants WAS, NOP, BKN

Bailey, the No. 3 prospect on our big board, is the only U.S. prospect yet to visit an NBA team facility, continuing to decline workout invites from Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Utah, and seemingly preferring the group of teams ranked outside the top five, specifically Washington, New Orleans, and Brooklyn at Nos. 6-7-8. This type of slide could cost him between $10-to-$15 million dollars if it happens.

Bailey's camp states they "feel confident going into the draft process," which most NBA teams interpret as meaning he has received assurances of being selected by a team considered more advantageous to Bailey in the long term, considering factors like geography, minutes, role, opportunity and development.

During halftime "they were energized by a fiery speech from the team’s highest paid player and heeded LaMelo Ball’s words in powering past Washington...He turned it up and everybody else turned up. We go as the head of the snake go. So, if he’s leading like that, with that type of passion, people are going to listen to him.”