LiAngelo Ball has been on a path to the G-League; the Charlotte Hornets wanted to be sure he played for their G-League franchise.
To make that happen, the Hornets signed the middle Ball child to a contract on Thursday. Ball will be waived in the coming days, but the Hornets will retain his rights and sign him to a contract to play for their G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.
LiAngelo Ball is the older brother of Hornets’ franchise cornerstone LaMelo Ball. However, this is not a case of pure nepotism.
Ball played well enough in the Las Vegas Summer League to deserve a G-League shot (and maybe a camp invite). He played solid ball and averaged 9.6 points a game while shooting 41.7% from 3 in Vegas, plus had a 16-point game in his Summer League debut. Defensively he with energy, and the effort was there.
Ball will get his shot, and with a little hard work and luck, he could get a call up to join his younger brother on the Hornets this season.