Charlotte ships their franchise cornerstone to Minnesota for a massive haul of picks and Naz Reid, signaling a massive roster shift centered on Kon Knueppel’s future.
On Wednesday night, smoke started to surround the Charlotte Hornets and LaMelo Ball after the 2026 NBA Draft concluded.
The Hornets went with center Hannes Steinbach out of Washington with the No. 14 pick and guard Christian Anderson out of Texas Tech at No. 18. Charlotte did not have any picks for the second round of the draft.
By Thursday morning, the Hornets had found a suitor for Ball. Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Charlotte is sending Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps, and three future second-round picks.
"BREAKING: The Charlotte Hornets are trading star guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota 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), sources tell ESPN," Charania posted on X.
Per Charania, the Hornets listened to multiple offers before trading with the Wolves.
"The Timberwolves send a haul to the Hornets for a star-studded new backcourt in Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball -- the Nos. 1 and 3 picks in 2020," Charania wrote. "Charlotte didn't shop Ball in the market but listened and received multiple rich offers before filling a significant need in the frontcourt with Reid.
"Timberwolves co-owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez enter the luxury tax for the third straight year -- and the franchise makes a big move to fill the point guard spot."
As Brian Windhorst of ESPN noted on Wednesday night, the Hornets have decided to pivot from Ball to 2025 first-round pick Kon Knueppel as more of the centerpiece of the team. Knueppel finished runner-up in the NBA Rookie of the Year vote for last season.
“They’re pivoting," Windhorst said. "The Hornets are looking at an opportunity to pivot. They had been about LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. They want their future to be about Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.”
Ball, 24, was drafted by the Hornets with the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft. He earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and made an All-Star appearance in 2022.
Ball appeared in 72 games and started 69 for Charlotte last season. He averaged 20.8 points, 7.3 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game last season.
While the Hornets are losing one of their key pieces of offense and a centerpiece of the team, the team is gaining the opportunity to land big-time talent in the future to build around Miller and Knueppel.
