LaMelo Ball has signed a five-year contract extension with the Charlotte Hornets, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
The extension is worth up to $260 million. Ball would have become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2024 if he and the Hornets didn’t agree to an extension.
The Hornets drafted Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 draft. The younger brother of Lonzo Ball has career averages of 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists. He made the All-Star team in 2022 and won the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year Award.
This past season, Ball only appeared in 36 games due to a fractured right ankle. The California native averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists while shooting 41.1% from the field, 37.6% from beyond the arc and 83.6% from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LaMelo Ball & Charlotte Hornets Updates
The Hornets drafted Brandon Miller with the second overall pick in the 2023 draft. Ball called Miller after Charlotte made the pick. The Hornets believe Ball and Miller can help the franchise get back to the playoffs.
Michael Jordan sold his majority stake in the Hornets to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall for an approximate $3 billion valuation. Jordan, though, will continue to oversee basketball operations this summer and keep a minority stake and maintain a presence with the franchise.
Schnall, a minority owner with the Atlanta Hawks, and Plotkin, a minority owner with the Hornets, will become Charlotte’s governors once the NBA completes its vetting and approval process. Jordan paid $275 million for a majority stake in the franchise back in 2010, becoming the league’s only Black majority owner.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LaMelo Ball & Charlotte Hornets Updates
It will be interesting to see how many games the Hornets win next season. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2016.
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