Orlando Magic receive: LaMelo Ball

Charlotte Hornets receive: Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, Jett Howard, Tristan da Silva, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030

Armed with an elite, chaos-creating defense and one of basketball’s best forward tandems in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic are so close to the championship chase they can almost touch it. If they actually want to join it, though, they might need a high-end perimeter shot-creator to take them over the top.

LaMelo Ball fits that description about as well as anyone who could be reasonably connected to the trade market. And while certain members of the Hornets’ faithful might scoff at that characterization, this is Ball’s fifth season in Buzz City, and Charlotte feels no closer to contending than it did when he arrived as the No. 3 pick of the 2020 draft.

In fact, considering the Hornets were play-in tournament participants during Ball’s first two seasons, you could argue the organization has moved in the opposite direction.

It feels like there’s a chance, then, that Ball shakes loose at some point—either by his own doing or the organization’s desire to start over and try building around Brandon Miller. Should Ball happen to even approach the rumor mill, the Magic should be all over him.

Might it take a little time to sort out the offensive hierarchy between Ball, Banchero and Wagner? Perhaps, but maybe Ball would be content with perking up his playmaking with scoring threats of this magnitude around him, and while Wagner has shined in Banchero’s absence, Wagner might still be most comfortable playing Robin to someone else’s Batman (or a couple of Batmen, in this case).

“He is a young man that wants to do all of the right things—by the game of basketball, by his work ethic, by his professionalism, by the teammate that he is,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of Wagner recently. “So sometimes, taking tough shots is not always a thing he wants to do. He just wants to make the right play.”

What’s perhaps most impressive about Orlando is the fact it’s deep enough—in players and trade assets—to make this kind of trade without becoming too top-heavy. The Magic would emerge from this trade with one of the league’s best young trios, but also still a strong support staff and a few more movable parts to throw in future trades if needed. That sounds like a championship recipe, assuming everyone stays healthy, obviously.

Speaking of staying healthy, that’s been a challenge for Ball, which could give the Hornets some hesitation about trying to keep building around him. If they see superstar potential in Miller, they would at least be intrigued by the idea of making him their centerpiece and using this package to flesh out the roster around him.

Black, Howard and da Silva were all top-20 picks from the past two drafts, and Anthony, the 15th pick in 2020, is still shy of his 25th birthday. All four are potential long-term keepers, and then the two firsts and two first-round swaps can help deliver more building blocks down the line.