LaMelo Ball and Josh Green have been traded from the Charlotte Hornets to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid and draft picks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania:
In addition to Reid, the Hornets will receive a 2033 unprotected first-round pick and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033). Charlotte also gets first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030.
Charania also reports that the Portland Trail Blazers were among the teams that had interest in Ball.
Marc Stein reported yesterday
that the Wolves and Toronto Raptors were looking to recruit Ball’s services, who played the second-most games of his career last year (72) after injuries took him off the court for significant portions of the last three seasons.
It’s unclear what the Blazers would have offered the Hornets in return, or what Ball’s arrival would have meant for the roles of Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday, and the now-healthy Damian Lillard.
At 24 years old, Ball – if healthy – has plenty of years left as a dynamic 6’7″ point guard whose lone All-Star appearance came in his sophomore season in 2022.
