Articles by Kurt Helin

Sports

Report that LaMelo Ball would be open to trade, but he clowns rumor on social media

LaMelo Ball has put up counting stats this season when on the court, averaging 21.6 points, 9.6 assists and 6.9 rebounds a game in the nine games he has played. That said, he is shooting just 38.5% from the floor — 29.8% from 3-point range. He has helped make the Hornets competitive in games, but still they have stumbled to a 4-11 start to the season. Which is why there is some logic to the idea that Ball would be open to a trade, maybe around the February deadline, and Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reported that he is. Star guard LaMelo Ball has grown increasingly frustrated with the organization and is open to a trade away from the franchise, multiple league sources told Yahoo Sports ... League sources say the front office is increasingly hesitant about cementing Ball as a long-term foundational piece, has become disillusioned with the 24-year-old and is open to moving him. LaMelo responded to that on X, shooting the idea down. If that response doesn’t make it clear, Ball has not asked for a trade. What’s more, the Hornets front office is not looking to move Ball right now, reports Jake Fischer at Bleacher Report. Understandably, Charlotte wants to get Brandon Miller back from his shoulder issue and see what this team looks like when fully healthy (they may be 4-11, but they have played more competitively than their record suggests). That said, there are playoff teams in need of point guard play — Orlando, maybe Houston and others — who are monitoring the situation. There would be a market for Ball, although because of his injury history and defensive issues, that trade would not bring back as much as the Hornets may imagine. It’s not just Ball’s situation that teams are monitoring. The same is true of Ja Morant in Memphis and Trae Young in Atlanta, both of them are currently out injured.

Sports

Kings' center Domantas Sabonis out at least 3-4 weeks with torn meniscus

The Sacramento Kings can’t seem to catch a break. On the day they expect Keegan Murray to make his season debut following thumb surgery comes this news. Center Domantas Sabonis will be reevaluated in 3-4 weeks following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, news broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by the Kings. Sabonis, a three-time All-Star, has averaged 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds a game this season despite battling through a series of smaller injuries. He had missed four games already this season, including the Kings’ most recent loss against Oklahoma City. Look for Drew Eubanks and Precious Achiuwa to get more run with Sabonis out. Sacramento is off to a rough start this season, having lost seven in a row and falling to 3-12. There had been rumors that the Kings would be open to trade offers on Sabonis as the February trade deadline approached, but now teams will see him healthy and back on the court before considering a move. Hopefully, he will return to the court around.