A surprise development on Wednesday night became a shocking trade on Thursday morning, as the Timberwolves traded for star Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. Minnesota is sending an absolute horde of picks (three first-round pick swaps in 2028, ’29 and ’30, an unprotected first-rounder in ’33 and three seconds) along with fan favorite Naz Reid to Charlotte in exchange for the 24-year-old coming off his best all-around season in the NBA.
It is a truly stunning turn of events. The Hornets were one of the best stories in the league last year with an electric offense led by Ball getting Charlotte as close to the playoffs as the franchise has been in a decade. He figured to be at the center of the organization’s new core along with Brandon Miller and Kon Kneuppel, a trio talented enough to ensure playoff contention for the foreseeable future. Apparently the Hornets’ front office, led by Jeff Peterson, disagreed.
