hornets

LaMelo Ball Returns To Hornets Lineup After Six Weeks

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LaMelo Ball is expected to appear in his first NBA game since November 26 when the Hornets face the Spurs on January 12. Ball was sidelined by a recurring right ankle injury. The same injury restricted him to 33 games last season. The Hornets have lost 17 of the 20 games that Ball has missed so far this season. In 15 games so far this season, Ball is averaging a career-best 24.7 points, along with 5.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists.

The Hornets are 8-27 this season, placing them third-worst in the Eastern Conference. Injuries have been the story of the Hornets, stymying any attempt at building off a season that saw them earn the second-overall pick in last year’s draft. Heading into the matchup against San Antonio, the Hornets are on a three-game losing streak. Furthermore, they have won just one of their last 15 games.

Read More: Donovan Mitchell Wants To Play With LeBron James At The Olympics

LaMelo Ball Sued By Big Baller Brand Co-Founder

However, injuries aren’t the only thing that Ball has had to contend with this season. In November 2023, Ball, along with PUMA, were named in a lawsuit. The Ball family were sued by Alan Foster, the co-founder of Big Baller Brand. Foster claims that he was integral to the early success of the Ball Family sneaker brand and lost out on millions of dollars when patriarch LaVar ousted Foster by creating a new BBB entity. Amongst his claims, Foster alleges to have been the mastermind, and trademark owner, for LaMelo’s first signature show, the MB1. Furthermore, Foster named PUMA in the suit. He stated that the MB.01 shoe the company developed for LaMelo infringed on his trademark.

“LaMelo was instrumental in creating his first signature shoe with Big Baller Brand. He was fully aware of the existence of the LaMelo Trademarks — he helped design them. He knew that his Big Baller Brand signature shoe was called the ‘MB1’ and that the name was protected by federal trademark. Yet, despite his knowledge of all of this, LaMelo willfully and deliberately chose to name the signature shoe he created and designed with PUMA the ‘MB1’ in violation of the LaMelo Trademarks,” Foster wrote in the suit. He is reportedly seeking $200 million in damages. Furthermore, Foster has previously sued, and been sued by, the Ball family.

Read More: LaMelo Ball Ruins A Perfectly Good Watch

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Miles Bridges Surrenders To Police Following Warrant

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Miles Bridges has turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Thursday. Bridges was wanted for allegedly violating a protection order issued last year. Some sources have claimed that Bridges smashed the windscreen of his ex-girlfriend’s car. However, Bridges only turned himself in on Friday as he was in Washington DC with the Hornets for a preseason game. Bridges only traveled with the team as he remains suspended by the NBA. A criminal summons issued last week also cities Bridges for misdemeanor child abuse.

In separate statements, the NBA and the Hornets said they were aware of the incident and were working to gather more information. According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office, Bridges appeared before a judge and was released on a $1000 bond. Bridges is currently serving three years probation after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence charges last year.

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Hornets Planning For Life Without Bridges, Kai Jones

It’s unclear what the consequences of this new case will be for Bridges. However, the Hornets have undergone some serious restructuring in the past few days. On Wednesday, the team cut 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones. Jones, who had struggled to justify his place in the starting rotation, was waived following a bizarre series of events in which he openly bashed his teammates and publicly requested a trade. Jones was nonchalant about the move on social media. However, it’s hard to see him getting an adequate deal elsewhere in the league given how late in the offseason it is.

Meanwhile, Bridges remains on the team but will miss the first 10 games of the season. If he remains on the roster and does not face any additional consequences from his summons, he will be able to make his season debut against the Bucks on November 17. Bridges has not yet addressed the situation. Furthermore, calls from outlets to his lawyer went unanswered on Friday. However, this new summons is a developing story and we’ll have any updates as they emerge.

Read More: Police Pressing Charges Over Patriots Fan Death

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Miles Bridges Hit With Criminal Summons

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Miles Bridges has been issued with a criminal summons relating to the domestic violence charges he is currently serving a suspension for. Details about the summons are scant, as it has not yet been served to Bridges. However, it is believed to be concerning the violation of a protective order. Furthermore, the local sheriff’s office confirmed that there is also an unserved arrest warrant for Bridges. That stems from a protection order violation in January.

Last November, Bridges pled no contest to a felony domestic violence charge. He was sentenced to three years of probation but did not have to formally admit guilt. He had originally been charged with physically assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their children in May of last year. Along with the probation, Bridges was ordered to remain 100 yards from the victim at all times and have no direct contact with her. Per the sheriff, the incident that led to the criminal summons involved the same woman and occurred on Tuesday of this week.

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Hornets Looking At Life Without Bridges, Kai Jones

It’s unclear what the consequences of this new criminal summons will be. However, the Hornets have undergone some serious restructuring in the past few hours. On Wednesday, the team cut 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones. Jones, who had struggled to justify his place in the starting rotation, was waived following a bizarre series of events in which he openly bashed his teammates and publicly requested a trade. Jones was nonchalant about the move on social media. However, it’s hard to see him getting an adequate deal elsewhere in the league given how late in the offseason it is.

Meanwhile, Bridges remains on the team but will miss the first 10 games of the season. If he remains on the roster and does not face any additional consequences from his summons, he will be able to make his season debut against the Bucks on November 17. However, this new summons is a developing story and we’ll have any updates as they emerge. As mentioned, at the time of writing, the summons and outstanding warrant are yet to be served to Bridges.

Read More: Michael Rubin Says James Harden Saga Wouldn’t Have Happened If He Was Still Sixers Owner

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New Orleans Pelicans Confirm They Would Consider Trading Zion Williamson

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After a week of infidelity allegations, the discussion around Zion Williamson has turned to whether the player is about to find himself on a new team. Trade rumors surrounding the 2019 first-overall pick emerged as league sources reported that the Pelicans were enamored with draft prospect Scoot Henderson. Henderson is a G-League star who is expected to be drafted in the top three picks of next week’s draft. The Pelicans currently pick at #14.

Beyond the Spurs picking generational talent Victor Wembanyama, at #1, the rest of the draft’s top-five is a complete unknown. The Hornets, Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Pistons are all reportedly open to hearing trade offers for picks two through five. Furthermore, the Hornets and Trail Blazers, the two teams Henderson will most likely land with, have been the most vocal in their willingness to trade out of the top three.

Pelicans Confirm Zion Is On The Table

There has been a flurry of activity in the past 24 hours about the potential of the Pelicans trading Zion. First, NBA insider Marc Stein announced that sources within the team had confirmed that they would consider trading Zion. It was the first time since the rumors began to swirl that the team acknowledged that Zion was theoretically available. However, since then, Stein has reported additional rumors regarding the player.

Speaking on his The Stein Line podcast on June 16, Stein revealed that the Hornets were looking to put together a package to acquire Zion. ““Based on what I’m hearing, yes, the Pelicans are legitimately considering… doesn’t mean they would 100 percent do it, but they are considering the prospect of trying to assemble a deal for Charlotte’s No. 2 pick that would feature Zion Williamson.” Gaining the second-overall pick would guarantee Henderson for the Pelicans. However, it would mean giving up their young star, who has shown that he is an elite player when healthy. Do you think the Pelicans will trade Zion? This is a developing story and we’ll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.

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