LaMelo Ball is on his way to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Charlotte Hornets are reportedly dealing the 24-year-old Ball along with guard Josh Green to the Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round NBA draft pick and second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033. The teams will also swap first-round picks in 2028, 2029, and 2030.
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Ball, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2020 NBA draft by the Hornets, has played all seven sevens in Charlotte. In 2025-26, he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. His 72 games played this past season was his most since 2021-22 when he was an NBA All-Star and coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign.
The player who was taken two picks before Ball in 2020 will be his new backcourt running mate in Minnesota — four-time All-Star Anthony Edwards.
On July 6, Ball will be eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million contract extension. He has three years left on his current deal.
The Hornets have missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons.
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Reid, who will turn 27 in August, went undrafted in 2019 before signing with the Timberwolves. He played 77 games last season where he averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
This is the second deal involving Minnesota in the past week. Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in Tuesday’s NBA Draft were dealt to the Brooklyn Nets for the 33rd selection. The Nets chose Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson at No. 28, while the Timberwolves used No. 33 on Duke forward Isaiah Evans.
That move — which is not yet finalized — made it possible for Timberwolves general manager Tim Connelly to shed Randle’s $33 million salary and drop the team’s payroll $31 million below the first apron. Minnesota then inked Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract.
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