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One of the hottest names in the NBA is becoming a contender.
The Charlotte Hornets reportedly traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, pairing the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft with the first overall pick that year, Anthony Edwards.
Ball, the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year, has become one of the league’s best guards, averaging 20.8 points and 7.3 assists per game, although injuries have hampered him. He has only played 105 games from the start of the 2022-23 season through 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 failed to end their playoff drought, which has lasted since the 2015-16 season, and opted 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 straight seasons, including appearances in the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025, so it makes sense to tap Ball to help Edwards, who gave up 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 Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 24, 2023. (David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images)
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And perhaps because of Ball’s durability concerns, Charlotte has 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 selections earlier this week and took former Duke star Kon Knueppel with the fourth selection last year.
In 2023, Ball signed a five-year contract extension worth $260 million and said he believes the team is on the path to success.
“I think it’s a great position to be in and I think we’re all on the right track now,” he said at the time.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball dribbles the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 19, 2026. (Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images)
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That obviously wasn’t the case, but on a personal note, Ball is now back on that path.
