Reported Reason For LaMelo Ball Getting Traded to Timberwolves Revealed

This offseason, the highlight for the Minnesota Timberwolves was trading for former Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. Ball was the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and had his ups and downs during his tenure with the team. 

According to NBA insider Tim MacMahon, the reason the Hornets decided to part ways with Ball was that he was not seen as a true franchise cornerstone. He had some injury issues during the early stages of his career, and he ran into issues with the coaching staff multiple times. 

While things have not been perfect between the Hornets and LaMelo Ball, there was no doubt he had a serious impact on the franchise. The 2025-2026 season was the first true season where Ball was very durable, and they made it to the Play-In Tournament. It was the closest they came to a playoff appearance. 

The Hornets have a developing young core that consists of players like guards Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. Now that they have parted ways with him, they'll look to find a new player to build around moving forward. 

With Ball coming to Minnesota, he gets a fresh start after a season that was very successful for him. This season, the expectations are higher than ever for the Timberwolves. 

Star player Anthony Edwards has seen talented players come and go during his time with the Timberwolves, but he has yet to play alongside a point guard who is as dynamic as LaMelo Ball. 

Ball is a player who can take pressure off Edwards because of his playmaking and ball-handling ability. Edwards has seen a lot of double teams in high-pressure situations in the past. Now, opposing teams will have to make a decision on who they will want to guard one-on-one. 

Not only does the addition of LaMelo Ball help out Anthony Edwards, but it helps out everyone else on the roster. The Timberwolves have multiple two forwards in Jonathan Kuminga and Terrence Shannon Jr. who can drive to the basket and finish at a high level. Ball has the ability to set them up for success and help them have career years. 

If LaMelo Ball can coexist with the front office and coaching staff this season, there's no reason why the Timberwolves can't make a deep playoff run. This is a season where it feels like the Timberwolves have a lot of momentum, and LaMelo Ball could be what they need to get over the hump.