The Charlotte Hornets are trading star guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 first-rounder, three first-round pick swaps, and a trio of second-round selections, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Hornets weren’t shopping Ball this offseason but opened themselves up to offers, according to Charania, who adds that Charlotte received multiple significant bids for the 24-year-old.
Ball joins fellow star Anthony Edwards in Minnesota after spending the first six years of his career with the Hornets. The Timberwolves selected Edwards with the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, while Charlotte chose Ball at No. 3 the same year.
Ball, a one-time All-Star and 2020-21 Rookie of the Year, averaged 20.1 points and 7.1 assists last season.
The Toronto Raptors were also reportedly interested in trading for Ball.
The 25-year-old Green recorded 15.7 minutes and 4.3 points per game last season. His scoring average was the lowest since his 2020-21 rookie campaign.
In Charlotte, Reid should provide the Hornets with much-needed frontcourt stability on a squad anchored by Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. The 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds last season.
The T-Wolves lost in last season’s Western Conference semifinals after being ousted in the Western Conference Finals each of the two years prior.
Meanwhile, the Hornets made it to the final stage of the play-in tournament last season before ultimately losing to the Orlando Magic.
