The Minnesota Timberwolves just made one of the most shocking moves of free agency so far. They have traded Naz Ried and a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three second-round picks in 2029, 2032, and 2033, and first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2030 to the Charlotte Hornets for Lamelo Ball and Josh Green.
How We Got Here
This comes at an interesting time because everything seemed to be going well between the Hornets and Ball after they made their first postseason appearance since 2016. He played in 72 games and averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds en route to helping the Hornets reach 44 victories.
Ball has said that he enjoyed playing with the Hornets this year with their very close locker room and good chemistry. He was willing to lower his minutes and shots for the sake of the team, which was both the lowest since his second season. He even came off the bench in a couple of games to remain healthy.
However, despite the good season from Ball, the Hornets field aggressive offers from not only the Timberwolves but also the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers.
Reid on the other hand has been a consistent piece for the Timberwolves since going undrafted in 2019. During his time with the Timberwolves he averaged 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists off the bench. He proved a particularly effective pairing alongside Rudy Gobert with the two posted a plus-9.1 net rating in over 2,700 minutes together across three regular seasons.
What This Means
Hornets:
The Hornets are shifting their priorities away from Ball, even though he still has roughly three years and $129 million left on his contract. It makes sense considering that he has struggled to stay healthy during his time with the team, playing in 70+ games twice.
They will turn their attention to Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller. Knueppel burst onto the scene as a rookie, putting on a show from deep. He averaged 18.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 5.3 rebounds. However, what was more impressive was that he led the league with 273 3s made while shooting 42.5%. Miller led the team in scoring, averaging 20.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 65 games.
Timberwolves:
For the Timberwolves, they have been trying to find a running mate for Anthony Edwards the past couple of seasons. They have tried to get Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but failed. Now they are going to build around a backcourt of Edwards and Ball.
They also recently sent Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a three-team deal. That freed up some money for them, and they used some of the money to resign Ayo Dosunmu. However, they still have questions to answer as their only true win will be Jaden McDaniels.
Grades
Hornets: B
The Hornets made the most of their leverage. Selling high on Ball who, despite his brilliance, carries real injury risk and fit questions while landing Naz Reid and a deep collection of picks gives Charlotte tangible value both now and down the road. Reid is a proven commodity who has earned his place as one of the better starting-caliber bigs in the league, and he gives the young Charlotte core a veteran anchor. The pick haul adds draft capital that will compound nicely around Miller and Knueppel.
Timberwolves: C
The vision is clear, but the execution carries real risk. Ball’s injury history is legitimate and the pick package surrendered is substantial. Minnesota won a bidding war that included multiple teams, which suggests they may have overpaid to close the deal. If Ball stays healthy and the roster gets properly filled out around him and Edwards, this looks like a pivotal move. If not, Minnesota has mortgaged significant future flexibility for an incomplete team.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Timberwolves look like next season. They are making a lot of changes to their roster, and it is clear that they are trying to satisfy Edwards. The only question that remains is whether it will make an impact.
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