Hornets To Trade LaMelo Ball To Timberwolves

Key Points:

• The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to trade star point guard LaMelo Ball and wing Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for big man Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033).
• The trade is expected to be part of a larger deal involving the Timberwolves’ Julius Randle trade and will likely be finalized after the new NBA league year begins in July.
• Ball, the 2021 Rookie of the Year and 2022 All-Star, showed strong health and performance in the 2025/26 season, averaging 20.1 points and 7.1 assists, but the Hornets are creating significant cap space and flexibility through this trade.
• Minnesota’s front office aims to overhaul their roster by pairing Ball with Anthony Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu, addressing their point guard issues following injuries and underperformance in the previous season.
• The Hornets will focus on building around young players Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, with added frontcourt shooting from Reid, while gaining the league's largest traded player exception to pursue free agents like guard Coby White.