CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to trade guards LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for power forward Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round draft pick, three first-round pick swaps and three future second-round picks, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by ESPN, has yet to be approved
by the league.
The three first-round pick swaps will be in 2028, 2029 and 2030. The Hornets also will get three second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033.
Ball, an All-Star in 2022, has struggled with ankle and foot injuries during his career, but he played in 72 games last season and averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
The 24-year-old Ball had three years left on a franchise-record five-year, $203.9 million designated rookie contract.
Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson is expected to address the move at a Thursday news conference in which the team is scheduled to introduce first-round draft picks Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr.
This trade is expected to be included as part of the transaction in which Minnesota agreed to send Julius Randle to Brooklyn earlier this month in a deal that also involved the Chicago Bulls, a second person with knowledge of the agreement told the AP. It will create an NBA-record trade exception of nearly $41 million for the Hornets.
The deals cannot be finalized until July 6, when the league moratorium on such moves is lifted.
It’s yet another blockbuster for the league, which has seen Giannis Antetokounmpo getting traded by Milwaukee to Miami for a package that includes Tyler Herro, a move that followed the Randle deal before the draft.
The Hornets are expected to re-sign unrestricted free agent Coby White to serve as their starting point guard.
White, the all-time leading scorer in North Carolina high school basketball history, averaged 15.6 points and 3 assists per game while shooting 39.1% from 3-point range last season for the Hornets after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bulls.
Reid, 26, has spent all seven seasons with the Timberwolves.
He averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists last season.
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami and AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
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