Charlotte Hornets Owe LaMelo Ball A Lot Of Money

The Charlotte Hornets owe LaMelo Ball a lot of money over the next five seasons.

Nov 10, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) walks top the court during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

LaMelo Ball is one of the best young stars in the NBA.

However, the Charlotte Hornets point guard has struggled to stay healthy since being selected with the third pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Ball finished last season with averages of 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals per contest while shooting 43.3% from the field and 35.5% from the three-point range in 22 games.

Nov 26, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks on during a game against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Ball is entering the first year of his massive contract extension, and he will be paid $35.1 million for the 2024-25 NBA season.

He has five seasons on his contract that will pay him over $200 million.

There is no player option in the deal, and he will become a free agent in the summer of 2029.

According to StatMuse, Ball's deal is the largest in the history of the Charlotte Hornets.

LaMelo in his first three seasons:

23.3 PPG
6.4 RPG
8.4 APG
43/38/83%

Largest contract in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/ZJcHdShqxL

— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 1, 2023

If Ball can remain healthy, there is no question that he is worth every dollar in the contract.

The biggest risk for the Hornets is the availability of the 2022 NBA All-Star.

His career averages are 20.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.6 steals per contest while shooting 42.7% from the field and 37.4% from the three-point range in 184 regular season games.

He has yet to make the playoffs.

OH MY LAMELO.

(VIA @NBA) pic.twitter.com/Cj6kJgBRgX

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 6, 2022

The Hornets finished last season as the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 21-61 record.

They have been unable to make the NBA playoffs since the 2016 season when Kemba Walker was still on the roster (eight years ago).