Hornets trade LaMelo Ball to Timberwolves for Naz Reid, draft picks, AP source says

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) works around Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, April 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn, file)

2026-06-25T14:07:55Z

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets have agreed to trade point guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for 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.

Ball had three years left on a franchise-record five-year, $203.9 million designated rookie contract.

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.

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

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