The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday in a multi-team transaction that signals the franchise's determination to climb back into championship contention after falling short in recent playoff runs.
Ball, along with guard Josh Green, heads to Minnesota in exchange for power forward Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps spanning 2028 to 2030, and three second-round selections in 2029, 2032, and 2033. The deal was reported by ESPN and confirmed to the Associated Press by sources with knowledge of the agreement.
The 24-year-old Ball represents one of the few elite pure point guards still available in the modern NBA, where scoring-first initiators have become the norm. His arrival pairs him with Anthony Edwards, the 2020 first overall pick around whom Minnesota has built its roster since the draft. Ball, the No. 3 pick that same year, brings championship-level playmaking and scoring to a Timberwolves team searching for answers.
Last season, Ball averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while playing in 72 games, the most he has appeared in during a single season. He ranked second in the league in three-pointers made with 272, trailing only his Hornets teammate Kon Knueppel. An All-Star in 2022, Ball has battled ankle and foot injuries throughout his career but has shown he can perform at an elite level when healthy.
Charlotte's front office appears ready to rebuild, with the organization expected to re-sign free agent Coby White as its starting point guard. The Hornets will benefit from an NBA-record trade exception of nearly $41 million, created as part of a larger transaction in which the Timberwolves are simultaneously sending Julius Randle to Brooklyn through a multi-team arrangement involving the Chicago Bulls.
The Hornets won 44 games last season but fell in the play-in tournament to Orlando, marking another playoff disappointment for a franchise that has never made the postseason with Ball on its roster during his six seasons with the club. His departure ends a tenure marked by individual excellence that could not translate into team success.
Minnesota's moves come after a sobering season. The Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals in both 2024 and 2025, raising expectations for a run at the title. Instead, they stalled last season and were eliminated in the second round by San Antonio, mirroring their earlier defeats to Oklahoma City. The organization concluded that its current configuration lacked the firepower to compete for a championship.
Reid, the 26-year-old returning to a familiar organization, spent all seven of his NBA seasons with the Timberwolves. The 6-foot-11 forward averaged 13.6 points and a career-best 6.2 rebounds last season and had been a popular figure in Minnesota. His departure clears salary-cap flexibility for the team's pursuit of championship-caliber talent.
League approval is required before the deal becomes official. Both transactions cannot be finalized until July 6, when the NBA moratorium on personnel moves is lifted. This acquisition is the latest bombshell in a busy offseason that has already seen Giannis Antetokounmpo traded from Milwaukee to Miami for a package headlined by Tyler Herro.
Author James Rodriguez: "Ball gives Minnesota the playmaker it needs to finally push past the second round, but this gamble only pays off if his injury history doesn't resurface when the playoffs come around."
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