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11/21 13:39 CST LaMelo Ball says he loves playing for the Hornets and denies reports that he's frustrated LaMelo Ball says he loves playing for the Hornets and denies reports that he's frustrated By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) --- LaMelo Ball said Friday he wants to stay with the Charlotte Hornets despite the team's struggles and increasing speculation about his future from outside the organization. "Yeah, I love being here," Ball said following practice in Charlotte. "I ain't saying nothing. I'm just trying to win, that's it. That's what we're going to keep doing." Hornets coach Charles Lee said Ball, who became the team's first max contract player in July of 2023 when he signed a $260 million deal, remains a cornerstone piece of the organization. "He's a huge, huge piece of what we do, offensively and defensively," Lee said. The comments followed a Yahoo Sports report, which cited anonymous sources, that said the 2022 All-Star point guard was growing increasingly frustrated with the team's losing ways and was open to a trade. Ball appeared to take exception to the report, reposting the story on social media with a clown emoji. The Hornets are 4-11 and have not been to the postseason since Ball's arrival as the No. 3 pick in 2020. "He never heard that come from me, so the source is not from me," Ball said. "So it's just false info." Ball said he doesn't like commenting on rumors, but felt he had to speak out before the reports got out of hand. "When they get too big, you know, you gotta say something," Ball said. "It was so much that it was making headlines in Bleacher Report and this and that, so I didn't want it to keep going on." Lee, the team's second-year coach, said he has a great working relationship with Ball and is thrilled to hear that the sixth-year pro is committed to the Hornets building a winning franchise. "I think that our perspective, I'm glad to hear what he had to say because I would echo a lot of the same things," Lee said. "Our ability to have communication between myself and Melo and (general manager) Jeff (Peterson) is really high, and I think that he's always communicated to us that he wants to build this thing with us. "He understands what it's going to take to try to win and who we need in the building and stuff, so I think that he is just committed to Charlotte. He's talked about how much he loves the city and the fans, and that's all I ever heard and that's all I focus on." Charlotte opened the season with a healthy dose of optimism, but shooting guard Brandon Miller injured his shoulder in the second game of the season and hasn't played since. The 24-year-old Ball has played in only nine games due to a right ankle sprain. He is back on the court now, but remains on a minutes restriction. In his first five seasons, Ball managed to play in only 231 of 410 of the team's games due mostly to ankle issues. He has tried a variety of braces along the way, but nothing seems to have fully corrected the problem. Ball is averaging 21.6 points and 9.6 assists per game this season, but has struggled to get his shot to fall posting career lows in field-goal percentage (.385) and 3-point percentage (.298). Even if the Hornets were wanting to move Ball it would require an enormous commitment from a trade partner. Ball is under contract through the 2029-30 season and has slightly more than $168 million left on his contract, including $37.9 million this season. Ball said his focus is on seeing things through in Charlotte and building a winner. "It's ups and downs," Ball said. "We are in a down right now, but we are definitely going to go up. I am still confident in this whole group and everybody here." The Hornets host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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