What are LaMelo Ball's career earnings? Exploring Hornets star guard's current contract and more
LaMelo Ball is heading into his fourth year in the NBA, playing for the Charlotte Hornets. The former third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft is in the last year of his rookie contract before serving his max contract extension.
Over the past three years, LaMelo Ball has been paid a total of $24.7 million and will earn $10.9 million more in the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season.
Ball will be the third highest-paid player in the Hornets' roster this upcoming season, behind Gordon Hayward's $31.5 million and Terry Rozier taking home $23.2 million.
The former Illawarra Hawk just played 36 games last season due to injury and has appeared in 163 games throughout his career. The 21-year-old Chino Hills, California native's 2022-23 season had a good start putting up career highs, scoring 23.3 points per game and making 8.4 assists in 35.2 average minutes.
In the first two years of Ball with the Hornets, he brought the team to two play-in appearances.
LaMelo Ball just joined the latest batch of players from the 2020 NBA draft to earn a five-year $260 million contract with Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards and Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton.
The max contract begins in the 2024-25 season, with Ball getting $35.75 million, and it goes up in increments until the 2028-29 season, amounting to $47.19 million.
Charlotte Hornets looking to give LaMelo Ball more help
The 2022-23 season has been tough for the Charlotte Hornets as they missed the play-in tournament while dropping to 14th-best in the NBA Eastern Conference.
Signing LaMelo Ball to a max contract extension means that the Hornets are locking in on their franchise player long-term and will look to surround him with complimentary pieces.
With the misfortune comes luck, and in the 2023 NBA draft lottery, the Hornets picked second overall behind the San Antonio Spurs. This team landed Alabama Crimson Tide's Brandon Miller, a six-foot-nine forward, who shoots 38% from beyond the three-point line.
The team will also look to bring back Miles Bridges after skipping the entire year to tend to his domestic violence case. In his last season with the Hornets, he racked up his best numbers averaging 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
The Hornets also just signed Nick Smith Jr. to a rookie-scale contract. The former Arkansas Razorback was drafted in the first round as the 27th overall pick by Charlotte.