The Charlotte Hornets are trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN. Rumors of Charlotte shopping their All-Star point guard first emerged during the second round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday, and a line of aggressive suitors reportedly emerged quickly. Ultimately, though, Minnesota won the bidding war for the following package:
- Timberwolves receive: LaMelo Ball, Josh Green
- Hornets receive: Naz Reid, 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033).
The deal comes as one of the more stunning trades in recent NBA history. While Ball has been the subject of trade rumors in the past, he is coming off one of his best seasons in the NBA. He played 72 games -- his most since 2022 -- and averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 36.8% on 10.3 3-point attempts per game. He fiinished ninth in the league in assists, second in 3-pointers, and the Hornets' offensive rating was 125.8 with him on the floor (compared to 112.7 when he sat).
The Hornets, after starting 4-14 last season, went 40-24 the rest of the way and emerged as the NBA's best offense after Jan. 1. Their 44 wins were their most since 2016, and while they ultimately fell short of the playoffs with an embarrassing 31-point loss to the Orlando Magic in the final round of the Play-In Tournament, they were a team on the rise with a thrilling young core of Ball, 2026 Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.
Now, the latter duo will move forward without Ball, who was a fan favorite in Charlotte and one of the most popular players in the league, especially among younger fans.
In Minnesota, Ball will team up with Anthony Edwards to form one of the most exciting backcourts in the league on a revamped Timberwolves team. After back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances in 2024 and 2025, the Wolves were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round this season and decided to shake things up around Edwards.
On Monday, they sent Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (Joshua Jefferson) to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team deal that also involved the Chicago Bulls. The Timberwolves only took back the No. 33 pick (Isaiah Evans) in that deal, but created plenty of cap space. They immediately used much of it to give Ayo Dosunmu a five-year, $112 million extension, and it seemed as though both he and Naz Reid would take steps up the depth chart. Now, Reid is gone, which leaves a big hole in the Wolves' frontcourt, and Dosunmu will likely remain in a bench role.
While the Wolves likely would have preferred to keep Reid, they ultimately couldn't pass on acquiring Ball. The 24-year-old, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, two spots after Edwards, has three guaranteed years and just more than $130 million remaining on his current contract. He is eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million extension on July 6.
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