The Charlotte Hornets are trading star guard LaMelo Ball and wing Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. In return, Charlotte receives center Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2030, and three second-round picks in 2029, 2032, and 2033.
It’s a blockbuster as the NBA is seeing a ton of action during draft week.
The move comes as a stunning development given that sources had indicated just hours earlier that Ball wanted to remain in Charlotte. Ultimately, the Hornets — clearly unwilling to risk losing their franchise player for nothing — opted to cash in when the right offer arrived.
For Minnesota, the acquisition of Ball is a massive swing. The 23-year-old is one of the most electrifying playmakers in the NBA, a three-time All-Star talent whose vision, passing, and scoring ability give the Timberwolves a dynamic backcourt cornerstone to build around for years to come. There were rumors that the Timberwolves considered trading Rudy Gobert, but ultimately did the deal without him.
Brian Windhorst reported on Wednesday: “If the cost is Gobert, I can’t see how they go forward. They won the series against the Nuggets because of Gobert. There is a height and size race in the Western Conference right now. So I’m not sure what the pathway is. I guess it’s possible that they could expand the Julius Randle trade to a multiple team trade to open this door, but I do think Minnesota feels like they have to look at this, and I think Charlotte feels like they have to look at this. There’s some other teams involved. Maybe we see a trade, maybe we don’t. I don’t think it’s a guarantee.”
For Charlotte, the haul is substantial. The Hornets land a proven contributor in Reid, and the draft capital — headlined by an unprotected 2033 first and three pick swaps — gives a rebuilding franchise real long-term ammunition to reload through the draft.
Charlotte moves on. Minnesota goes all in. As per Charania, “Timberwolves co-owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez enter the luxury tax for the third straight year — and the franchise makes a big move to fill the point guard spot.”
Meanwhile, fans are still awaiting trade news on LeBron James, who is reportedly a trade candidate with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons both eyeing his situation with the Lakers.
— Developing story. More details to follow.
