The Hornets franchise may have new owners, but they’re sticking with their franchise player.
New Hornets majority owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall made their first big decision as the guys in charge by locking up LaMelo Ball through the 2028-29 season. (Former owner Michael Jordan made the decision to draft Brandon Miller with the No. 2 pick.)
Ball gets his full maximum for his rookie extension, a deal that will start at 25 percent of the salary cap and could rise to 30 percent if Ball can make an All-NBA team next season. While persistent ankle injuries ended Ball’s season early and limited him to 36 games, the Hornets are confident that surgery fixed the issue.
The young Hornet upped his scoring to 23.3 points per game last year and increased his assists to 8.4 per game. The 21-year-old Ball became the second-youngest player to reach 1,000 points, rebounds and assists last season. If you’re wondering why the Hornets have such high hopes for Ball, the youngest player to do so was LeBron James.
Ball has been famous since long before he was in the NBA, thanks to his brother Lonzo, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft (LaMelo was No. 3 in 2020) and his outspoken father, LaVar. His father started the ill-fated shoe company Big Baller Brand and moved his youngest son around in high school. Ball played professionally in Lithuania and Australia before joining the NBA – and Puma, leaving BBB behind.
Now he’s locked in as Charlotte’s franchise player. The new owners’ next move? Getting Ball some help.
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