LaMelo Ball Era Ends in Charlotte as Hornets Make a Splash Trade

The Charlotte Hornets are moving on from franchise guard LaMelo Ball, agreeing to trade him and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033), and first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2030, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Ball, who spent six seasons in Charlotte, helped lead the Hornets to a dramatic turnaround last season. After winning just 19 games the year before, Charlotte finished with 44 victories and came within one play-in win of ending its playoff drought dating back to 2016. The 24-year-old averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while appearing in 72 games, his healthiest season in several years after battling injuries.

Minnesota had been searching for a long-term point guard to pair with All-Star Anthony Edwards, especially after Donte DiVincenzo suffered a ruptured Achilles during the playoffs. Ball now joins a young core that also includes Jaden McDaniels, with all three players under contract through the 2028-29 season.

Charlotte receives a proven frontcourt contributor in Reid, the 2024 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, who averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds last season while shooting 37.1% from three-point range.

The Hornets are expected to build around rising stars Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel while adding valuable draft capital to reshape the roster. Charlotte is also expected to re-sign guard Coby White after its surprising late-season surge made the franchise one of the NBA’s biggest turnaround stories.