Charlotte Hornets deal LaMelo Ball to Minnesota 

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Guard LaMelo Ball, who helped the Charlotte Hornets to a 25-win improvement in 2025-26, has been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Josh Green for forward/center Naz Reid and numerous draft picks and pick swaps through 2033.

The Charlotte Hornets have parted ways with their franchise player.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday LaMelo Ball would be heading to Minnesota along with Josh Green for forward/center Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first round pick, three first round pick swaps (2028, 2029 and 2030) and three second round picks (2029, 2032 and 2033).

Charlotte will also get a $40.7 million trade exception with the deal. 

The Hornets were looking to add frontcourt depth and did it by adding Reid, who averaged 14.2 points per game on 46.2% shooting and 37.9% from three-point range last season, in 80 games played. 

Meanwhile, the Hornets lose their onetime franchise player — despite recent reports suggesting Charlotte was centering its core of forwards Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. Ball played 72 games last season, averaging 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. 

The Hornets also re-signed guard Coby White, who was their sixth man last season after coming over from Chicago in a trade. His deal is for three years and $74 million, according to Charania.

Ball’s annual salary was just over $40 million with three years remaining on his contract. Reid’s contract pays $25 million annually and he recently signed a five-year deal in 2025 for $125 million — all guaranteed — that runs through the 2029-30 season. 

The salary cap savings with the Ball-Reid deal paved the way for Charlotte to re-sign White as the lead point guard. White averaged 17.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and four assists per game in 2025-26 shooting 44.6% from the floor and 39.1% from three-point range. 

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