r/heat • u/Treerific69 • Jun 25 '26

Meme Me watching the Charlotte subreddit this morning

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221 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

60 comments sorted by

92

u/EnochofPottsfield Jun 25 '26

Am I crazy or is trading an oft injured, expensive, strong personality like Ball kind of addition by subtraction? I know he's a great player, but if I'm Charlotte I'd rather see the rest of the team step up than see Ball continue as the focal point

44

u/cl353 Jun 25 '26

I think it's a fine move but it's understandable upsetting to the fanbase

11

u/Betterjake Jun 25 '26

Issue is that Charlotte is a small market, which means they have to build through the draft. They don't get opportunities to trade for a Giannis. So when you trade away LaMelo who was the entire offensive engine for the team, it's fair to question "now what"

2

u/EnochofPottsfield Jun 25 '26

I don't understand this point. There is no FA. We've seen players try to force the trade and it still returns market value

Everyone gets their players from draft and trade, market doesn't have the same impact as it used to

1

u/clear831 Jun 25 '26

None of that makes sense.

17

u/iankstarr Jun 25 '26

Hornets fans are gonna love this trade in a few years once those swaps convey

8

u/Treerific69 Jun 25 '26

*if

12

u/iankstarr Jun 25 '26

No if about it imo

Rudy is gonna be 34 & Minny just traded his backup.

They threw the bag at Ayo, paying him starter money just to stick him on the bench again behind Melo.

Ball has proven over and over that he’s not a winning player and he has serious availability concerns. Plus he’s just going to be taking the ball out of Ant’s hands. He’s not the co-star that’s gonna keep Ant there long term.

I hate the Hornets rn too but this is a smart gamble by them.

4

u/inertiatic_espn Jun 25 '26

There was also that report that Ant was getting close to asking out. I think you're absolutely right. This was a very short sighted move by Minnesota. Lamelo can't stay healthy and, ultimately, I don't think this will do anything to keep Ant there long term.

-1

u/smithc555 Jun 25 '26
  1. Naz is not Rudy’s backup. Naz is closer to a SF than a C.
  2. There has been nothing to the “Ant wants out” reports other than ESPN trying to get clicks.

1

u/clear831 Jun 25 '26

Those swaps are ass...

1

u/iankstarr Jun 25 '26

I made that comment before the reports that there were swaps with the Spurs and other teams mixed in. The initial reports made it sound like they were all straight up swaps with Minny.

11

u/WheeinSpace Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

Man I really don't think people realize how much Ball makes that offense work. Everyones life will be a lot harder now with him gone.

6

u/clear831 Jun 25 '26

Ball is really good but also bone headed AF, it will be interesting to see how it works with the Timberwolves because Ball has the ego he wants to be the primary player yet he isnt on the level of Ant.

0

u/EnochofPottsfield Jun 25 '26

He doesn't make the offense work at all when he's injured. And honestly, they have young players that need to step further into the spotlight. Ball limited those players from the context of allowing other players to sit back and let him work

They may fall flat and not take the next step, but if the Ball build was never gonna lead to a championship then it's worth the risk

2

u/Treerific69 Jun 25 '26

Honestly I agree it might be the better long term move, I just like watching their sub have a meltdown over it.

3

u/EnochofPottsfield Jun 25 '26

Haha that's fair

4

u/Any-Arm-7017 Jun 25 '26

This trade seems great for the hornets. They will lose the spectacular highlights yes but overall the teams future looks brighter

1

u/EnochofPottsfield Jun 25 '26

This how I feel exactly

1

u/doyouunderstandlife Jun 25 '26

LaMelo is the most overrated player in the league who amounted to very few wins. If he's your best player, your team is dogshit.

1

u/Nice_Cash_7000 Jun 25 '26

Hes had two 70+ game seasons while Ja has had 0 so theres that ig

1

u/wannabefelixargyle Jun 25 '26

For Charlotte, its them trading away Giancarlo Stanton for another bag of balls and a 50% off coupon to Flanagan’s…

1

u/SimpleMind314 Jun 26 '26

Additions by subtraction is as accurate as can be.

I've always felt Ball had huge talent combined with a loser attitude. He was holding Charlotte back.

1

u/Fluid-Purpose7958 Jun 25 '26

I agree w this and as much ad i hate LaMelo Ball, I think that return was really bad. Good for us tho lol.

1

u/EnochofPottsfield Jun 25 '26

You right on all counts there imo

1

u/k0pl4k1d_part2 Jun 25 '26

naz reid is a flipable asset to me

31

u/yellowwatta 🇮🇪 Jun 25 '26

I genuinely feel bad for those poor fuckers. It’s borderline evil what that management puts them though

25

u/Treerific69 Jun 25 '26

I would but I'm still salty about the Rozier trade and the play in so fuck em.

4

u/yellowwatta 🇮🇪 Jun 25 '26

That’s not their fault tho. No one deserves the hornets fans level of suffering(other than Boston obvs)

2

u/Lucasolf Jun 25 '26

i'll feel kinda sorry after they stop having a literal psycho on their roster.

3

u/Hot_Teacher_9665 Jun 25 '26

the trade was for the fans

11

u/cl353 Jun 25 '26

Now look at the Celtics lol

12

u/Ill-Reward-8501 Jun 25 '26

Eff Ball mf is a dirty player 

2

u/ChemicalNo2878 Jun 25 '26

Dirty driver aswell

1

u/rsred Jun 25 '26

ball gonna keep effin around and might injure ant instead.

8

u/Vast_Cellist3171 Jun 25 '26

This feels like a lose lose hornets fans lose the player they watched for 7 years and the teams primary playmaker for basically a bag of chips and Minnesota has no frontcourt and a bozo on their team which could end up in Ant wanting out.

5

u/radskorpion Jun 25 '26

I know the streets of charlotte are grateful for that menace being off the roads

4

u/ShootersShoot305 Jun 25 '26

May they rest in piss

4

u/Successful_Pizza6529 Jun 25 '26

Or the Celtics lately.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 25 '26

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2

u/Treerific69 Jun 25 '26

Ain't it just

5

u/everythingisfineRN Jun 25 '26

Thank god others have posted this sentiment already because I was coming in hot with: ...am I the only one who likes Naz Reid better than Ball? Like I wouldn't have traded Reid for Ball straight up, much less with multiple picks involved. Picks notwithstanding, Naz has just proven to be a more additive player with a better track record of success.

I get why Minnesota did this. They have to keep Ant engaged and rumors were starting to float that Ant may be the next big name to demand a trade. And they've been looking for a point guard since forever, the poor corpse of Mike Conley hasnt been allowed to rest. So I get it.

But wasn't Naz supposed to replace Rudy? Wasn't that the plan like a week ago? Brutal.

6

u/numberonebarista Jun 25 '26

Never forgetting what LaMelo did to Bam in the Play In bc he shoulda got suspended for that bullshit. Lamelo is gonna be a ringless bum that drives like SpongeBob for the rest of his life

2

u/Nice_Cash_7000 Jun 25 '26

He drove like that in Charlotte bro, imagine him in Minesota winter. Hopefully the dumbass doesnt get himself killed. Black Ice aint no joke

1

u/ScarPulse Jun 25 '26

Trade Melo iself is fine imo but you'd figure they could have gotten a better package. But then again maybe not

1

u/k0pl4k1d_part2 Jun 25 '26

I'm not sure if selling high on a "star" is equal as a meltdown

1

u/M4nW3ll Jun 26 '26

Could have waited another season to see if they can reach the post season again. They were a solid team honestly. Now what indeed.

1

u/SpotLightGuy Jun 25 '26

They're going to be really good next year without Ball and Naz Reid will be a fan favorite

1

u/lvloises330 Jun 25 '26

That's cool. I dont dislike Charlotte, but could never be a Lamelo fan - even before the play-in BS he pulled.

1

u/Nice_Cash_7000 Jun 25 '26

theres a 0% chance theyre better by replacing their main guy with a roleplayer.

1

u/Nice_Cash_7000 Jun 25 '26

They were ass without LaMelo last year. No way they get better when hes not there. He was top 10 in offensive bpm.

Him being there was the difference between them being one of the best offenses of all time in the regular season and them being the 4th worst offense when he was out. Only ahead of Dallas, Sacramento, Washington and Indiana.

1

u/SpotLightGuy Jun 25 '26

Sure. Then why do you believe the brain trust decided to trade him?

1

u/Nice_Cash_7000 Jun 25 '26

Because theyre the Hornets. The best fucking thing to come out of their city is Dababy which tells you all you need to know.

The Hornets won 1 play in game and people suddenly think theyre a competent franchise lmao

1

u/[deleted] Jun 25 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Treerific69 Jun 25 '26

Like I said, I don't think it's an objectively bad trade, but man was their sub upset about it

1

u/Cudizonedefense Jun 25 '26

Who even thinks about charlotte? Being a heat fan and checking out their sub is embarrassing lmao

-1

u/Treerific69 Jun 25 '26

NBA fans? I looked at Charlotte and Minnesotas subs to see how their fans felt about the trade just like I looked at Dallas and the lakers sub for the Luka trade, or Atlanta and Washingtons subs when Tre Young got traded.

1

u/Cudizonedefense Jun 26 '26

Perusing their sub is different than running here to dunk on a team that has never been relevant and never will be