The latest star to hit the NBA rumor mill is LaMelo Ball. Is it time for the Washington Wizards to take a step forward and trade for a guard who can propel them forward in their rebuild?
The Wizards have had real glimmers of hope this year as some of their young players step up. Kyshawn George has taken the leap and now looks like a long-term starter on a good team. Alex Sarr shook off a difficult rookie season to look like what he was projected to be when the Wizards took him second overall. Rookie Tre Johnson has shown some flashes as a movement shooter.
Their biggest needs remain in the backcourt, specifically for a point guard who can drive offense, creating shots for himself and others. Bub Carrington has not taken a step forward in his second season, rating as the worst player in the entire NBA by ESPN's Net Points Added metric (minimum 300 minutes played). Tre Johnson is also in the bottom 15. As the frontcourt shows promise, the backcourt continues to hold questions.
The Wizards can hope that another season at the bottom of the standings lands them a lead guard in the 2026 NBA Draft. Darryn Peterson would be an ideal addition. Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. is having a strong freshman season. Yet the Wizards know better than most that the NBA Lottery is a fickle place to place your hope, and if they fall to fifth or sixth again they may miss out.
With LaMelo Ball seemingly entering the trade market as both he and the Charlotte Hornets surreptitiously leak rumors of a desired divorce, the Wizards could have another path opening up before them. Ball was an All-Star in just his second season in the league, and while injuries have limited him in the years since, he still holds plenty of talent and skill to get back to that level.
Whether or not he will is a reasonable question, but that's why this would be a buy-low opportunity for Washington. They take a swing at a disgruntled guard whose value is at a low point; perhaps he gets healthy and becomes their point guard of the future (Ball is just 24 years old). If he cannot get healthy or does not become a more serious player on the court, they can move on without having invested significant resources.
Building a trade for LaMelo Ball
What would a trade for Ball look like? The Hornets would certainly love to get back a star-level package for Ball, but that is off the table. LaMelo's injury history combined with his lack of winning have taken all of the shine off of him. Yet they also have to be incentivized to move off of him in some way.
The best path forward might therefore be to offer the Hornets salary relief. That is something the Wizards can do better than almost anyone, as the expiring contracts of Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum can be a financial gift to other teams. Building a trade around Middleton, for example, would clear a large amount of money for Charlotte next summer and beyond.
Here is what a trade could look like, therefore, built around Khris Middleton going out and LaMelo Ball coming in:
The Hornets take a flier on AJ Johnson here, but the Wizards otherwise retain their stable of young prospects. They trade their extra 2026 first-round pick, which will be the worst of the LA Clippers, the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder -- at this point, everyone will assume that to be the 30th pick in June's draft. Finally, they have a handful of 2026 second-round picks and they can include one for the Hornets, who found two rotation players in the early part of the 2025 second round and will likely value another bite at that apple.
Will the Hornets agree to this deal? While it seems like a lowball offer, other teams will likely want to send back their bad salary to Charlotte. This could reaosnably be the best offer on the table for Ball. If they have decided to move on, it's not unrealistic for them to accept this deal.
Does this deal make sense for the Wizards? Strangely, yes, it seems to. They are giving up precious little in terms of real assets. Johnson has become a favorite of "sharp" Wizards fans who want him to play more, but he has proven next to nothing as an NBA player thus far. Middleton is quite possibly in the last year of his career and will probably agree to a buyout with whatever team he is on after the Trade Deadline. The pick cost is extremely low.
The downside is real. LaMelo Ball may never be consistently healthy. Brian Keefe may not be the right voice to get Ball to lock in and play winning basketball. Bub Carrington may be poised on the edge of a breakout. Yet the cost is so low, and the upside so high, that this is a trade worth making.
The Wizards should give their I-85 compatriots a call and see if there is a deal to make.
Grade: A-