LaMelo Ball Trade Marks New Era for Wolves and NBA

LaMelo Ball is heading to Minnesota.

On Thursday, the Hornets sent Ball, who they selected No. 3 overall in the 2020 draft, and Josh Green to the Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033). News of the trade was first reported by ESPN.

The deal comes a day after the 2026 NBA draft ended and on the first day of a new era, in which Adam Silver’s ‘3-2-1 lottery‘ system goes into effect for the 2027 draft. Next year’s draft will expand the lottery from 14 teams to 16 and will give teams that finish fourth through 10th a higher chance at landing the No. 1 pick than the bottom-three teams. It will also reverse the order of the second round, with the team that picks first also selecting 16th in the second round (46th overall).

The trade echoes what ESPN front-office analyst Bobby Marks told Front Office Sports about transactions in the new-look NBA, with star players continuing to command first-round picks. Marks was unsure about second-round picks being part of big trades, and Ball’s has three of those, too. 

“I think superstars, teams are always going to trade first-round picks,” Marks told FOS before the draft. “I think there’s a little bit of uncertainty when it comes to trading second-round picks just based on its inverse order, so there’s the unknown on where it lands. I think there is a little bit of hesitation here as far as just because we haven’t gone through it yet, as far as where potential picks can be.”

The trade completely remakes the Wolves’ roster, pairing Ball with franchise player Anthony Edwards and center Rudy Gobert. A former Sixth Man of the Year, Reid was expected to move off the bench and into the starting lineup with Julius Randle’s departure, but new owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are now tasked with replacing both power forwards as they enter their second year as owners. 

A 6-foot-7 point guard, Ball is one of the league’s unique talents, who is both a gifted scorer and passer, but has had an injury-prone career. This past season marked just the second time in his six-year career that he played more than 70 games.

Ball is about to enter the third year of a five-year, $208 million extension he signed in 2023. He will make $40.7 million next year, and $43.5 million and $46.3 million in the subsequent years. On July 6, he will be eligible for a two-year extension worth $119.2 million.

The transaction also includes multiple assets that won’t mature until after the league’s current CBA expires. The current CBA is set to end at the end of the 2029–30 season, but both the league and the NBPA can opt out of the agreement a year early. Because the picks extend past the current CBA and the new lottery system is only guaranteed for the next three seasons, it’s hard to gauge their value. 

Charlotte is coming off one of its most successful seasons in years despite being knocked out in the play-in tournament. The team went 44–38, marking its first winning season in four years, and now adds Reid to a growing core. Following the trade, the Hornets possess the second-most amount of future first-round picks to trade and a roster that includes 2026 Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Moussa Diabate. 

The trade is being lumped into the three-team deal that is sending Wolves forward Julius Randle to Brooklyn and Nets center Nic Claxton to the Bulls, Marks reported. The transaction won’t be finalized until July 6, because the Bulls are using cap space to complete the deal, and the date marks the first day teams can sign players to contracts.

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