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One of the NBA’s hottest names is moving toward a contender.
The Charlotte Hornets reportedly traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, combining the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft with that year’s first overall pick in Anthony Edwards.
Ball, the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year, has become one of the best point guards in the league, averaging 20.8 points and 7.3 assists per game, although injuries have hampered him. He played only 105 games from the start of the 2022-23 season until the 2024-25 campaign.
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Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves interacts with LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 22, 2024. The Hornets defeated the Timberwolves 128-125. (David Berding/Getty Images)
The Hornets have been unable to break their playoff drought, which has been in place since the 2015-16 season, opting to trade Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks.
The T-Wolves have made the playoffs for five consecutive seasons, including appearances in the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025, so it makes sense to bring in Ball to help Edwards, who scored a career-high 28.8 points per game last season.
LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets passes the ball during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 24, 2023. (David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images)
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And perhaps because of concerns about Ball’s durability, Charlotte added to an already rich collection of draft assets that includes six first-round picks and eight second-round picks over the next three offseasons. They just selected Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson with the 14th and 18th picks earlier this week and last year took former Duke star Kon Knueppel with the fourth pick.
In 2023, Ball signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension and said he felt the team was on the path to success.
“I think it’s a great position and I think we’re all on the right path now,” he said at the time.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball dribbles the ball upfield against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on February 19, 2026. (Jim Dedmon/Image Images)
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That obviously wasn’t the case, but on a personal level, Ball is now back on that path.
