The Charlotte Hornets have a clear focus as a franchise for the long-term; build around LaMelo Ball. After selecting the near All-Star guard with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the trajectory of the team has changed.

Ball has emerged as an intriguing building block that many teams would surely be ecstatic to have in the fold. With averages of 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in his Sophomore campaign, there’s a lot to like about what he can become in his NBA career.

There’s been enough shown from Ball that it’s his time to be the clear-cut franchise cornerstone without having an obstruction in his way to achieving his ceiling as a player. He’s even hinted at times that he feels a bit limited at times in what he’s been enabled to do on the court.

The best way for the Hornets to show Ball they are fully committed to him emerging as one of the NBA’s best players would be to move on from a costly veteran that was signed before his emergence as one of the league’s fastest rising stars; Gordon Hayward.

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Hayward, who has consistently dealt with injuries throughout the more recent years of his NBA career, is set to earn over $30 million in each of the remaining two years of his current contract—restricting the Hornets in their roster construction efforts around Ball.

One team that has struggled to land top-end talent in NBA free agency that could use an upgrade on the wing is the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic is one of the league’s top players but has a lot of ‘3-and-D’ talents around him. Adding a wing that adds more dimensions to the half-court offense could go a long way in raising their ceiling.

Let’s take a look at a potential NBA trade scenario centered around Gordon Hayward that would send him from the Charlotte Hornets to the Dallas Mavericks.