The Charlotte Hornets are moving on. In a trade confirmed Thursday by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Charlotte is sending LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid and a multi-year package of draft compensation.
The full return for Charlotte: Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030, and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033).
What Minnesota is getting
Ball is 24 years old and coming off a season where he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 72 games. He still had three years remaining on a five-year, $203.9 million designated rookie extension. By any measure, that’s a franchise cornerstone in his prime.
The Timberwolves add him to a backcourt already anchored by Anthony Edwards. The pairing is high-upside: two ball-handlers who can run pick-and-roll at different angles, attack mismatches and keep defenses scrambling. Minnesota’s defensive infrastructure – built around Rudy Gobert and a switch-everything scheme – stays intact. Ball brings the creation their offense occasionally lacked.
Head coach Chris Finch now has two primary creators who can both close out a game. Neither is a pure spot-up shooter, which creates real spacing questions, but the offensive ceiling is undeniable.
Charlotte’s calculation
Six seasons. One All-Star appearance. The Hornets hovered near the bottom of the East each year Ball was their primary playmaker. That’s not entirely on him – the roster around him was thin, ownership instability played a role – but the trajectory was clear enough.
Naz Reid (13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds in 2025-26) is a useful piece, not a throwaway. But the real value for Charlotte is in the future capital. That 2033 unprotected first-round pick from Minnesota could arrive as a lottery pick if the Timberwolves age out of contention by then. The three swap rights layer on further flexibility as the Hornets try to build something durable.
Ball was the third overall pick in 2020. He leaves with Charlotte’s all-time assists record. It wasn’t a failed tenure, exactly – just one that closed without a title, or even a playoff series win.
What changes in the West
Minnesota entered this offseason near the top of conference futures. Adding Ball while retaining their defensive core makes them a legitimate title contender ahead of free agency. The Wolves have made their move. Other teams in the West will now have to answer.
Free agency begins June 30. The race to build around this new-look Timberwolves lineup starts now.
Sources: ESPN (Shams Charania), NBA.com
