Kendrick Perkins Claims That Hornets Are Intentionally Limiting LaMelo Ball's Trade Value

LaMelo Ball has figured in trade talks as of late, and it’s not hard to see the 24-year-old point guard thriving with a change of scenery. Unless, of course, something throws a monkey wrench into plans to ship Ball.

In the eyes of Kendrick Perkins, Ball’s own team is undermining his value. According to Perkins, the Charlotte Hornets are making moves to bring Ball’s numbers down ahead of a potential trade.

On a recent episode of “The Road Trippin’ Show,” Perkins went so far as to show co-host Allie Clifton an anonymous text message that floated this peculiar idea.

"They on this b***s***," Clifton said as she read the text aloud. "Let's play Melo about 25-28 minutes a game so his numbers won't be high. So if they trade him, they won't be trading a two-time All-Star. They will be trading a player whose numbers went down."

Perkins has been known to give some bold takes in his career as an analyst, but in this case, it’s a bit difficult to grasp his logic.

Generally, teams want their up-and-coming stars (such as Ball, in the case of Charlotte) to generate high value when they hit the trading block. After all, teams expect the time and effort they put into molding youngsters to ultimately yield positive returns, whether that’s playoff contention or the opportunity to nab more assets in the future.

Limiting Ball’s minutes, then, appears to be counterintuitive for a team like the Hornets, which has taken just three trips to the postseason over the past 20 years. (To wit, each of these playoff runs ended in the first round.)

A more practical (and, indeed, a far simpler) reason could be behind Ball's 28.0 minutes per game, the lowest usage of his six-year career. Over the past three seasons, the flashy court general has been derailed by various injuries; a slight dip in Ball's minutes could better preserve his health and put him in a position to help the Hornets make a playoff push.

So, while Perkins’ wild claim is capable of drawing several clicks from netizens, the reasoning behind his assertion is questionable, to say the least. In any case, the Hornets might rethink their plans for the future as Ball continues to thrive with talents like Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.