On Thursday local time, Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball appeared to refute rumors on social media that he might seek a trade.

The Hornets have had a poor start to the season, sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-11 record after 15 rounds. Yahoo Sports reporter Kelly Ico also reported that Lonzo Ball has become increasingly dissatisfied with management after the Hornets' four-game losing streak and has clearly stated his willingness to be traded. At the same time, the Hornets are beginning to waver in their plans to establish Ball as a long-term cornerstone, preferring to build their offensive system around Brandon Miller and Conn Knupell.

However, Ball immediately responded. He shared the report on his personal social media account, adding a clown emoji. This move seemed to indirectly refute the report's veracity and also reflected the player's indifference to the rumors.

NBA insider Jack Fisher further pointed out that he is "absolutely certain" the Hornets will not consider trading Ball at this time. Before making a decision, they need more time to observe Ball's performance alongside Brandon Miller, as well as his synergy with promising rookies like Conn Knupper and Ryan Kalkbrenner.

Lonzo Ball, 23, was the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He has played 240 regular season games for the Hornets, averaging 21.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, with a 42.0% field goal percentage and a 36.2% three-point percentage. However, hampered by a right ankle injury, he has only played 9 games this season, averaging 21.6 points, 9.6 assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game.