NBA legend Paul Pierce gives LaMelo Ball a suggestion regarding his future in Charlotte

NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce does not trust the Hornets to build around their young star.

Jan 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) dribbles against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

After winning a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, Paul Pierce became one of the few superstars in recent history to actually be rewarded for their loyalty. The Hall of Famer spent nearly a decade in Boston before the franchise surrounded him with the necessary pieces to compete for a championship.

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With that being said, it seems like Pierce hopes today's superstars won't have to face some of the same struggles that he did during his quest for an NBA title. 

While speaking with former Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett during an episode of KG Certified, Pierce claimed that it would be in Ball's best interest to leave Charlotte.

“If I'm LaMelo, I'm looking to get out of Charlotte,” said Pierce.

Barring anything short of a miracle, the Hornets 10-28 record (fifth-worst winning percentage in the NBA) has them destined to miss the playoffs yet again. Meanwhile, Ball has made a tremendous statistical leap as a scorer.

David Banks-Imagn Images

This season, Ball is averaging 29.5 points per game (eight points higher than career average), 7.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds. While his growth should be encouraging to both the fans and the organization, Pierce and Garnett feel that the team’s lack of success should be discouraging to a player of Ball’s potential.

“What’s going on in Charlotte? Y’all getting a top pick every year. You should have about three, four, five draft picks that you should be developing.” Pierce said. 

If Ball has any plans of leaving Charlotte, the NBA trade deadline is on February 6th. After this season, he will have four seasons remaining on the five year $203 million dollar contract that he signed in the offseason.

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