The Charlotte Hornets have locked in the third-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to a brand new contract.

LaMelo Ball has finally inked his first NBA contract. It’s been a long-time coming for the 19-year-old phenom.

Just a few seasons ago, the NBA was focused on where his older brother, Lonzo Ball, would end up as he wrapped up a short stint at UCLA.

As we know, the older Ball ended up getting drafted by his home-state team, the Los Angeles Lakers, before getting traded to the New Orleans Pelicans last offseason.

When Lonzo Ball was starting out in the NBA, LaMelo Ball was making noise worldwide as he began his professional career overseas rather than taking the typical college route as an American basketball player.

Thanks to the Big Baller Brand’s marketing power, Ball continued to remain relevant in the USA while taking over courts in Australia. And now that he was eligible to enter the 2020 NBA Draft, Ball became a top-five prospect this offseason.

Nearly two weeks ago, Ball waited to hear his name get called on national TV as the draft began. Although he didn’t go No. 1 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he didn’t have to wait very long as the Charlotte Hornets picked him up with the third pick as Minnesota and Golden State passed up on him.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Ball is locked in with the Hornets as he signed his contract on Monday. At the moment, the details of his contract aren’t revealed, but Ball’s deal could be somewhere around the four-year, $35 million range.

Justin Grasso covers the NBA for The Sports Daily. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_