Face of the franchise? Confirmed. Check out the details behind the Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball contract extension, as well as his career NBA earnings to date.
LaMelo Ball’s 2022-23 season may have been cut short by an ankle injury, but the subsequent offseason brought a reason to celebrate.
After fellow 2020 draftees Tyrese Haliburton and Desmond Bane received rookie max extensions starting at 25% of the salary cap, the Charlotte Hornets awarded their point guard with the very same deal on July 1: five years and $207 million. That’s quite a milestone for the former Chino Hills Husky on its own, but due to a special wrinkle in the NBA collective bargaining agreement, that banger of a deal has a chance to get even bigger.
Let’s dive into the details of the Hornets’ handsome LaMelo Ball contract extension.
LaMelo Ball Contract Details & Salary
All dollar figures via Spotrac.
Active rookie contract (through 2023-24)
Years: 4
Total value: $35,596,275
Average annual value: $8,899,069
Upcoming contract extension (begins 2024-25)
Years: 5
Total value: $207,000,000
Average annual value: $41,400,000
Free agency: 2029
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Just like Indiana’s Haliburton and the Grizzlies‘ Bane, LaMelo’s extension begins with the 2024-25 season, but league rules permit a 25% rookie max deal to escalate to 30% of the salary cap if a player makes an All-NBA team in the season immediately before it begins thanks to what is colloquially known as “Derrick Rose Rule.” If Ball can make that happen, his contract’s total value skyrockets to an incredible $260 million, which would be the No. 2 largest contract in NBA history as of this writing.
You might call it a Big Baller Bag.
LaMelo Ball’s Career Earnings
Salary data via Spotrac.
TOTAL NBA CAREER EARNINGS THROUGH 2022-23: $24,695,640
ESTIMATED CAREER EARNINGS THROUGH 2029 (no “Rose Rule” escalator): $231,695,640
ESTIMATED CAREER EARNINGS THROUGH 2029 (including “Rose Rule” escalator): $284,695,640
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