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Hornets ditch LaMelo Ball for shockingly small return
LaMelo Ball. Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images

Hornets ditch LaMelo Ball for shockingly small return

By Sean Keane  |  Last updated Jun 25, 2026 9:30 PM ET
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Despite a 25-game improvement last season and a play-in victory, the Charlotte Hornets decided that they didn't want to be in the LaMelo Ball business anymore.

Thursday, the Hornets sent their All-Star guard to the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with forward Josh Green, for Naz Reid and a package of draft picks and swaps. It's a sign that Charlotte's ownership wanted to move on from their All-Star guard no matter how strong his offense might be.

LaMelo Ball trade return lacks big prize

Charlotte got a lot of draft pick volume by sending out Ball, but not necessarily draft pick quality. They got an unprotected first-round pick in 2033, seven years in the future, three first-round swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030, in addition to three second-rounders.

The 2028 swap is a straightforward exchange with the Timberwolves. In 2029, the Hornets get the second-best pick among the Timberwolves Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers, while in 2030 they can swap their pick with the worst owned by the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Wolves. The odds are that the 2030 swap at least won't be worth much.

They do fill a hole at power forward by adding Reid, while they've replaced Ball at point guard by re-signing Coby White to a three-year deal. It's still far short of the kind of blockbuster offer that would convince a team to trade their superstar. Which indicates the Hornets were ready to move on.

Charlotte Hornets didn't see a future with LaMelo Ball

The Hornets weren't facing financial limitations nor pressure to trade Ball, who has three years and $130M left on his contract. While he was the engine behind a Hornets offense that was fifth-best in the NBA last season, there are clear concerns about Ball's injuries, which caused him to miss 57 percent of his team's games from 2022-25. He's a spectacular passer and creates plenty of highlights, but his defense is poor despite standing 6-foot-7.

In addition, Ball has a well-documented history of reckless driving, including a car crash in his Hummer last season. Perhaps that's a factor in the Hornets concluding he was no longer the future of the franchise.

In the short term, this may well cause the Hornets to take a step back offensively. They still have a lot of three-point shooting, led by Kon Knueppel and Reid, but White isn't the same level of passer as Ball. There's statistical evidence that the Hornets' excellent three-point shooting last season depended heavily on Ball's orchestrating the offense.

However, the trade and its limited return suggest the Hornets organization isn't settling for a 44-win season. Long-term, the team has extra picks, financial flexibility and an enormous trade exception from this deal that could allow them to take a big swing later, whether at the trade deadline or next summer, when they'll have three first-round picks.

The Ball era in Charlotte is over. The team thinks the post-Ball era will be far better.

Sean Keane
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Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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