Taking James Wiseman second overall at the 2020 NBA Draft will go down as one of the most brutal mistakes the Golden State Warriors have made this century, particularly given future All-Star guard LaMelo Ball was there for them to take before going third to the Charlotte Hornets.
Now the Warriors could have an opportunity to atone for that mistake, with the potential of a blockbuster Ball trade suddenly on the table according to a report on Thursday surrounding his future at the Hornets.
Warriors could atone for draft blunder with blockbuster LaMelo Ball trade
The Hornets have been entertaining with impressive rookies Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner so far this season, but injury issues to Ball and young wing Brandon Miller has relegated them to a 4-11 record and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Ball himself has struggled with his efficiency in the nine games he has played, and both he and the Hornets are now reportedly open to parting ways according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports on Thursday.
"Star guard LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade away from the franchise," Iko reported. "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."
Ball's playmaking and general dynamism could be incredibly beneficial to a Golden State offense that's been lackluster at times this season, having ranked 23rd on that end through the first 17 games.
The 24-year-old holds career averages of 21.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists , while also shooting 36.2% from beyond the arc on over eight attempts per game. But as interesting as Ball would be for the Warriors, his combination of injury history and contract is likely to cause hesitation for them and other prospective teams around the league.
Ball has appeared in just 114 games since the start of the 2022-23 season, while he still has three years and $130 million left on his deal beyond this season. His $38 million deal for this season makes it incredibly difficult for Golden State to trade for him, at least not while keeping the current core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
The Warriors do have Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski as tradable contracts/young pieces, but they're not going to give up three or four of those rotation players for Ball as talented as he is.
So while Golden State could theoretically make amends for their draft mistake by trading for Ball, don't expect them to be a serious contender despite his seeming availability.