Amid the Charlotte side’s two-decade-long misery, LaMelo Ball came in as a guiding light in the 2020-21 season. The 3rd overall pick went on to become the centerpiece of the Hornets. And go on to stay that way for a while. Despite the star point guard’s frequent injuries, the team has decided to back him and build the surrounding team. Let’s check out the price that the team paid to keep Ball stuck around the franchise for a while.

Firstly, Ball signed a four-year rookie contract worth $35.5 million with club options in the last two years in 2020. With an annual salary of $7.8 million, the rising star didn’t disappoint the Hornets front office, as he went on to win the Rookie of the Year award despite missing out on 21 games with a broken wrist. In the very next season, with an annual salary of $8.2 million went on to produce his best season so far. In fact, it was Ball’s healthiest season where he played 75 games, averaging 20.1 ppg.

The Hornets, without any hesitation, picked up the team option and extended his stay for another season, with an annual salary of $8.6 million. However, the season didn’t go in LaMelo Ball‘s favor as he sustained a fractured right ankle and ended his with just 36 games, averaging 23.3 ppg. Heading into the last season of his rookie contract, the team picked another club option with an annual salary of $10.9 million and also extended his contract.

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the 23-year-old signed a max contract for five years worth $205 million which will be effective from the 2024-25 season. During the signing event, which was ahead of the fourth year, he envisioned reaching the NBA First Team and the MVP award. Unfortunately, he missed 60 games with the same ankle issue. Now that he is in the first year of the max contract, which will run till the 2028-29 season, Ball can reclaim the trust.

What is LaMelo Ball’s career earnings and the future with the Hornets?

So far, with his rookie contract and first year of max contract, LaMelo Ball has made around $70.7 million in the four seasons. Moreover, going with his current max contract, the star will earn about $239 million by the end of the 2028-29 season. The only important factor in his career, he has to keep his fitness intact. After his sophomore year, Ball hasn’t played past 36 games in the next two seasons.

In the 2024-25 season, he has played 13 games so far, and produced his best performance in his career, averaging 29.7 ppg. If this continues for a long period, the team may even qualify for the postseason for the first time since the 2016 postseason. And maybe even a playoff series for the first time since 2002.

Moreover, LaMelo Ball isn’t alone this time. Brandin Miller, who finished 3rd in the ROYT race last season, has shown promising signs for the Hornets so far, averaging 15.4 ppg this season. Ahead of the season, the sophomore star said, “I think we’re going to be a playoff team,” Currently, standing in the 9th seed of the Eastern Conference with a 5-8 record, the Hornets could change the tide this season. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.