FILE – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball brings the ball upcourt during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. LaMelo Ball could have tried to force his way out of Charlotte in hopes of landing with an established NBA playoff contender in the next few years. Instead the 2022 All-Star point guard decided to embrace his current situation with the Hornets by signing a five-year contract earlier this month that will pay him up to $260 million.(AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman, File)
