In what was described as the “perfect blockbuster trade idea,” Fadeaway World suggested on Thursday a deal that would allow this year’s No. 3 overall draft pick, LaMelo Ball, to play alongside his older brother. This transaction would allow the Charlotte Hornets to acquire Lonzo Ball and veteran JJ Redick from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Terry Rozier.
As explained by the publication, the Hornets could potentially benefit from the arrival of LaMelo Ball, who was referred to as one of the “most promising point guards” drafted over the past decade. However, Fadeaway World hinted that Charlotte should make an effort to acquire LaMelo’s big brother, given that New Orleans is “always listening to offers” as it tries to build around its young core.
Talking about the player the Hornets will have to give up in order to land Lonzo Ball in the hypothetical deal, the outlet wrote that Rozier was the only “recognizable name” who was acquired in the summer of 2019 to replace Kemba Walker, who headed to the Boston Celtics. The 26-year-old averaged a solid 18 points per game and was able to partly make up for Walker’s contributions, but as further noted, he wasn’t the perfect replacement as he averaged just 4.1 assists and shot a mediocre 42.3 percent from the field.
“Rozier especially loved dribbling out the clock and loved getting his shots up, something that will not fit with the new draft signing LaMelo Ball. With LaMelo handling the ball, there is no fit for Terry Rozier.”
Although Fadeaway World acknowledged that Lonzo has yet to completely live up to his potential as the No. 2 overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, the site predicted that he and Redick could team up with LaMelo to give the Hornets “some of the best guard play in the league,” assuming the theoretical transaction becomes a reality. At the moment, Charlotte’s backcourt also features incumbent starting point guard Devonte’ Graham, as well as incoming third-year man Malik Monk among its reserves.
Regarding how Rozier could help the Pelicans if the proposed trade pushes forward, the publication predicted that he could be a good fit in the Big Easy as he could form an “explosive” backcourt duo with new acquisition Eric Bledsoe, either in the same starting lineup or platooning together at the point guard position. It was also speculated that forward Brandon Ingram could thrive without Lonzo and Redick, as this could lead to an increased number of touches for last season’s Most Improved Player awardee.
“Lonzo will likely never find his groove in New Orleans and Redick is in the back-end of his career, so adding a scorer like Rozier could be the best thing to do,” the site concluded.