Overview
- The Hornets completed a deal that sends LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid, three future first‑round pick swap rights and several future second‑round picks.
- Hornets head coach Charles Lee publicly praised Ball at Summer League, saying Ball is “really just scratching the surface” of his potential and calling the move personally difficult.
- Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson defended the trade as a move to add draft capital and roster flexibility that the team hopes will help it compete for a title in the long term.
- Minnesota gains a high-upside playmaker to pair with Anthony Edwards as part of a win‑now push, a choice that cost the Timberwolves interior depth and future draft capital.
- Ball leaves Charlotte after six seasons following a 2025–26 campaign in which he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds and the Hornets finished 44–38, signaling a new era for both franchises.