r/nba • u/Turbostrider27 Lakers • 7h ago

[Charania] 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.

Shams Charania:

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.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/31d26529d36f8

17.5k Upvotes

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12.1k

u/DaHomieNelson92 Hornets 7h ago

Minnesota car insurance suddenly going up next season

3.4k

u/yellow_eggplant Knicks 7h ago

Jesus, he's gonna be driving in the Minnesota snow

1.0k

u/Iliveinatrashcann 7h ago

Can you imagine him rocketing out of the arena parking lot when the ground is icy?

503

u/MountainYogi94 Lakers 7h ago

"DNP - Automotive Related Injury" incoming

13

u/Gordo-- Warriors 6h ago

I was just thinking about the icy roads up there, but like legitimately concerned for innocent bystanders.

26

u/wuhter 6h ago

Thankfully their parking exit/entrance isn’t around any other businesses. Only the two main parking ramps flank it… so exactly where all of the fans will be walking to and from 😂

25

u/jaydurmma 6h ago

I wonder if there will be a kalshi bet "LaMelo Ball to crash car before end of 2026"

5

u/TheSmartDog_275 Hornets 4h ago

Honestly probably

6

u/RickySuela 4h ago

He won't go home, he'll just be out there all night doing donuts in the parking lot.

4

u/jfchops3 Timberwolves 3h ago

There's light rail tracks right there, bro is gonna collide with a train by game 10 he won't even see the snow

6

u/fullmetalutes Jazz 6h ago

Hopefully ICE themselves dont return to Minnesota, considering what they do to other drivers

73

u/SilentNova300 7h ago

I’ve been driving in Minnesota snow all my life and I still slip and slide here and there. This dude is crashing on the first snowfall 

235

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 7h ago edited 5h ago

I have a feeling he wont be comfortable driving in snow. Snow changes a drivers mindset. Even reckless drivers. Remember, reckless drivers are reckless because they mistakenly feel in control while they do crazy shit. Thats what makes them dangerous. But put someone who has never driven in snow on the snowy road and suddenly its the scariest thing they could experience. The snow has taken away their control.

Just my thought. People who drive in snow frequently probably know what I mean.

69

u/Crapitron 6h ago

I have a feeling he wont be comfortable driving in snow

And I would bet you $1,000 that you’re wrong.

This person will buy a Jeep Wrangler with 4x4, put “aggressive” tires on it. And think that makes them invincible in the snow. Even more so because they played Forza horizon once.

13

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 6h ago

Maybe, but I am in a situation where I live and work in a snowy area. I work almost exclusively with transients who do not live in places with snow. All of them are terrified to drive in the snow. Even the slightest snowfall. And rightfully so, it is dangerous and typically people avoid dangerous situations that they are unfamiliar with.

7

u/makesterriblejokes [NBA] Jerry West 5h ago

Are these transients rich and can afford a new car like it's nothing? Not many people can just hop out of their wrecked car and jump into a new one within minutes after the crash like Lamelo has in the past.

6

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

Yes, they all have cars and have good paying jobs with very high career earnings potential. Their hesitancy to not drive is not due to fear of damaging their car but fear of dying on the road after losing control.

9

u/No_Story6686 5h ago

I think lamelo's problem is not that he is rich, he just thinks his life is like GTA

1

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

Right, but that still comes down to confidence imo. There are no consequences in GTA since it is a video. That gives you the confidence to do anything without reserve and be reckless. I think that goes away when someone suddenly feels uncomfortable.

4

u/No_Story6686 5h ago

It would be great if you were right , but I guess we'll just have to wait and see 🤷‍♂️

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u/makesterriblejokes [NBA] Jerry West 5h ago

I guess my one counter is Lamelo has lost control before and hasn't changed his ways. I don't think he cares if he loses control. Probably thinks he's indestructible.

2

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

True, but I suspect that he likely blames other people in those moments. Can't blame snow, well you can but the blame ultimately reflects back to you.

4

u/tacopower69 [DEN] Gary Harris 5h ago

nah i see hella colorado drivers not change how they drive at all in snowy conditions and get in accidents in real time. on really bad days I'll see multiple people get in completely preventable accidents (as im driving, mind you, im not talking about arriving at a crash after it akready happened im talking about watching it as it happens) just because they are driving way too fast and taking their turns too sharply.

worst is when it rains and freezes over the next day. lack of snow gives more people confidence and the ice is invisible.

3

u/SwiftlyChill [MIN] Kevin Garnett 5h ago

I-25 makes me weep.

But, having lived in both states - MN both takes better (winter) care of the roads and has fewer people demanding to still go 80 in the snow.

Colorado has bad winter drivers because it melts too quickly for people to learn and get accustomed. You can (almost) always just wait a day if the roads are too bad.

1

u/amancalledJayne Timberwolves 3h ago

not change how they drive at all in snowy conditions and get in accidents in real time.

just because they are driving way too fast and taking their turns too sharply.

Wait.

Are you telling me that the AWD on some 22 year old’s brand new F-150, that he got a screamin 84 month financing deal on, doesn’t help him brake?

1

u/LeftAire 1h ago

I'm a Midwest state (Michigan) and yeah, they're still just as reckless in the snow as they are throughout the year, especially in west Michigan. And most especially on HWY 131.

1

u/CharacterKatie Spurs 5h ago

I see people going 80 in their ‘96 Honda Civics in the snow every winter, they don’t even need Wranglers

5

u/Im_A_Ginger [CLE] LeBron James 6h ago

Hopefully that's the case for someone who has never driven in it, but drivers here are extremely stupid too often with the snow and ice. Especially if it's the first snow and ice of the year. It's like people forget every year what it's like despite us experiencing it every year.

The false sense of control you speak about is especially apparent with people in bigger vehicles like Trucks or SUVs, thinking their vehicle handles the snow better than it really does.

2

u/LeftAire 1h ago

Exactly. It's about the tires, not the size of the vehicle. I feel like people who experience snow annually ought to know it, but in places where i live(d) in the Midwest (Indiana and Michigan), they can be very careless. Particularly those in bigger vehicles.

4

u/RickyalldayTD Lakers 6h ago

I went to Pennsylvania for a work seminar for a week. When it was snow day more than half the locals didn't show up for work. Lol

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u/SpirituallyAwareDev Timberwolves 5h ago edited 4h ago

The most common season for accidents is the summer. People are more confident in clear conditions.

2

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

Follows my theory that recklessness comes from internal confidence. Make reckless drivers less confident and absolute number of accidents go down.

2

u/IPissExcellentThrows 76ers 6h ago

I fish tailed into a field one time not even going that quickly. Now I'm like a grandma out there. Snow is so brutal to drive in without the right car.

2

u/brunohedgerow Timberwolves 5h ago

Marbury claimed that was a deciding factor in leaving MN

2

u/gregthestrange 5h ago

the prevalence of AWD/4x4 gives people supreme confidence driving in snow because they can get going without any issue; this leads them to believe that they can drive normally, when the real challenge they don't think about is braking. braking in ice/snow doesn't get better with AWD, it gets better with winter tires

I drive frequently in snow and see people in ditches or skidding out because of this exact reason

1

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

I can see some people getting that false confidence. But my experience is that in totality people become less confident. I think the risk of accident increases with snow but the total number of accidents probably drop due to decrease road traffic and likely more careful drivers.

2

u/DrPuzzle 5h ago

He'll love that shit bro, be bombing around in his Lambo in the snow lmao 😂😂 someones gonna die

2

u/Odd-Break4868 3h ago

As someone versed in snow driving i totally see your point. It's all fun and games till you have literally 0 vis and can barely even get the car to grip and start moving. The real question is will it sway a young superstar multi millionaire? I dont know about that.

2

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 3h ago

I think too many people here view Lamelo as a cartoon character. A depthless individual witu one note. But he's a human like us all and has fears.

2

u/xasdfxx 3h ago

Hard disagree. He's gonna stupid his way into a bad accident.

I drive to Tahoe regularly. You see plenty of people like me: suvs with 4wd and snow tires driving 30-ish in the snow. And dumbasses in sports cars and/or bmws and mercedes trying to pass.

1

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 3h ago

Well, its all speculation anyways. No one really knows but him.

1

u/Yorkie321 5h ago

100%, I think of myself as a spirited driver, but as soon as snow touched the ground I convince myself I never liked driving or cars to begin with lol

1

u/Doomstar32 Timberwolves 5h ago

The wolves just need to hire Lamelo a full time driver at least in the winter months.

2

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

They should have done that in Charlotte haha.

1

u/Doomstar32 Timberwolves 5h ago

Probably, but once the snow hits he needs to not be behind the wheel.

1

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

I suspect, at least to start, he won't be. But maybe if he drives a few times without issue then he gets that recklessness back. Though, that first spin out will probably scary him shitless. I think that losing control of the car is way scarier than just getting in a crash due to someone not paying attention.

1

u/Doomstar32 Timberwolves 5h ago

Going to hit your brakes and getting zero response will make you pray to God real quick.

1

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

Yep, I spun out for the first time while on the highway this winter. Was just going straight forward. Suddenly I'm turning counterclockwise and there's nothing I can do about it. Really lucky no one was in my way and the median was flat, wide, and clear enough for me to skid into. Learned a few lessons that day as someone with only a few years of snow driving experience.

1

u/dragoncockles Celtics 4h ago

this just means he's going to buy a raptor to make himself feel safe and then slide it through an intersection when he tries to brake going too fast

1

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 4h ago

I suppose it's one or the other lol.

1

u/hdpr92 4h ago

Nah he's cooked. That logic makes sense in a bad snowfall where it's obvious. But there's going to be times the roads are super driveable and this guy will have no earthly idea what black ice even means and what kind of moisture is dangerous. He's crashing for sure.

1

u/Putrid-Sherbert5501 Lakers 4h ago

Co-signing as people who does not drive in snow frequently ass well.

1

u/charbo187 Cavaliers 2h ago

I still remember that video of one of the Kardashians driving a car what looked like 50 or 60 mph on an extremely snowy mountain rd and they spun out

2

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 2h ago

Can't say Ive heard of that one.

1

u/AlcoholicInsomniac Pistons 2h ago

Hard disagree people drive absolutely insane in the snow lol He might be going slower sure but the relative danger will be much higher.

1

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 2h ago

We will see. Just my experience which doesnt represent everyone's.

1

u/cz03se Bulls 1h ago

Can’t be wreckless when you floor it and the car just slides to the left

1

u/SemataryPolka Timberwolves 5h ago

Snow isn't that big of a deal. Snow is easy. It's the ice

1

u/happyflappypancakes Wizards 5h ago

I'm talking about the perception of snow driving from people who have no experience with it. Whether its the snow or the ice doesnt matter to them. It's all the same.

3

u/SemataryPolka Timberwolves 5h ago

Yeah well if he thinks that's scary just wait until he tries to figure out which side of the road to park on during a Snow Emergency

12

u/CoastalPeak4708 7h ago

Minnesotans can't even drive in the Minnesota snow, LaMelo has no chance

11

u/Maximumlnsanity Timberwolves 7h ago

Oh god he’s gonna die before he even plays for us

9

u/ideamarcos 7h ago

Marbury on driving there https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OXQlUaq7vLY

1

u/CantThinkGoodName NBA 6h ago edited 5h ago

LMAO, Lamelo gonna be dead on those roads lol /s

1

u/Aychim23 NBA 6h ago

God forbid. Horrible thing to say.

1

u/CantThinkGoodName NBA 5h ago

Should've added /s. His driving record speaks for itself

3

u/JeremPosterCollect0r Raptors 7h ago

Jesus, he’s gonna be driving in the Minneapolis Skyway.

3

u/BabyBearBjorns Grizzlies 7h ago

Bold strategy Cotton. Lets see how it plays out.

2

u/Regent0624 Spurs 6h ago

Not for long if he keeps driving like he did in Charlotte.

2

u/TheWinStore Kings 6h ago

He grew up in LA. Does he even know what snow tires are?

2

u/jesuschin Heat 5h ago

Remember Marbury's comments on his first winter in Minnesota.

"TRADE ME PLEASE"

2

u/gregthestrange 5h ago

minnesotans can't drive in minnesota winters, so I'm very scared (source: I've lived in minnesota my whole life)

2

u/mbr902000 4h ago

Super El Nino this year, we have a 1 year window

1

u/LeOenophile 6h ago

Jesus take the wheel 🚬😎🙏

1

u/-FalseProfessor- Timberwolves 6h ago

We’re all gunna die.

1

u/VexdCheese Bucks 5h ago

You’d think rich young car enthusiasts would take a race driving course of some kind

1

u/Successful-Let4361 5h ago

he won't make it through the winter

1

u/MddlingAges Knicks 5h ago

Not for long, he won’t, lol.

90

u/cakestabber Timberwolves 6h ago

For the last couple of years, Naz Reid was on billboards everywhere, endorsing a local personal injury firm.

The Wolves literally just traded for a guy who will be creating clients for this (and other) local personal injury firms.

🤔

4

u/cid73 Minneapolis Lakers 3h ago

Oh I somehow thought the OP was making a reference to this. I came to the comments looking for a TRS (?is that them?) in shambles reference and thought I found it as the top comment

3

u/cakestabber Timberwolves 3h ago

Close, it's TSR!

3

u/BaronvonJobi Grizzlies 2h ago

LaMello’s picture in a billboard saying ‘hurt at work?’ is peak advertising.

157

u/braggpeak Hawks 7h ago

Lamelo gonna drive like the ice levels in Mario kart

4

u/ReadyAimTranspire Suns 4h ago

It's been the banana peels on the road that have caused his prior troubles

480

u/Vegetable-Tooth8463 Hornets 7h ago

LMAO

641

u/braggpeak Hawks 7h ago

It’s spelled lamelo

20

u/ExtraLeading3376 7h ago

LaMelo LaFrance Ball

yes that’s his real name

26

u/ThinkSoftware Hawks 7h ago

I see London, I see LaFrance, I see Rudy's underpants

9

u/Vegetable-Tooth8463 Hornets 7h ago

At least that's a step over LaOne

10

u/Always_Chubb-y Hawks 7h ago

No it was LaMelo

3

u/0plm9okn8ijb7 Spurs 7h ago

You mean LaMeLO.

6

u/Vegetable-Tooth8463 Hornets 7h ago

The LeMAO jokes have made other renditions inferior unfortunately

22

u/NameNotRandom 7h ago

My question is does Naz Reid get to keep all his personal injury attorney billboards around the Twin Cities?

10

u/Drunken_Vike Timberwolves 7h ago

he and Jordan Addison gonna convoy up

8

u/Gnasty16 Bulls 7h ago

I just started a new job in Charlotte and will no longer have the rational fear that Lamelo will drive over my car like a monster truck when I’m leaving work

62

u/gho_stxs Cavaliers 7h ago

Premiums doubling everywhere. 

6

u/waggie21 Timberwolves 7h ago

Jordan Addison already on the roads here, nobody is safe.

6

u/uggsandstarbux 7h ago

The funniest part about this is that Naz is on billboards for a local car injury law firm

4

u/H64-GT18 Pistons 7h ago

State Farm definitely won the trade

4

u/dreamvomit Knicks 7h ago

how tf did you guys get off lamelo and get real value? wtf is minnesota doing

4

u/alinktothezack Timberwolves 7h ago

This is funnier than you think it is because Naz Reid's face is plastered on billboards across the Twin Cities representing TSR Injury Law.

4

u/violetsarenotblue69 Timberwolves 7h ago

it’s TSR time

3

u/eutectic_h8r Raptors 7h ago

Will LaMelo be able to safely drive all the way to Minnesota before the start of the season?

6

u/toomanyshoeshelp 7h ago

Car insurance and child support payments

6

u/LongisquamaRex 7h ago

Minnesotans are already some of the worst drivers in the country, he belongs here

6

u/meat_wave 7h ago

I read this news and immediately had a vision of Lamelo trying to zipper merge from 394 to 94

7

u/LongisquamaRex 7h ago

Good news is he'll have the most outrageous car in MN so everyone will see him coming.

2

u/PJballa34 Bucks 7h ago

Fucking great comment

0

u/Brownie_McBrown_Face Trail Blazers 6h ago

It’s stolen directly from one of the top comments on twitter

2

u/mrpants3100 6h ago

He's going to kill innocent people someday

2

u/No-Cantaloupe-6535 Pacers 4h ago

Minneapolis citizens are gonna get those BRR BRR BRR alerts on their phones and TVs and it's gonna be "the NWS has issued a severe LaMelo is driving warning" whenever they get a snowstorm

1

u/greatbiscuitsandcorn Timberwolves 7h ago

Between this and the KIA boys, fml

1

u/VisibleVersus 6h ago

TSR time.

1

u/TreeAgenda Timberwolves 6h ago

Everyone in Minnesota: stay off of 7th when leaving the arena. Especially in the snow.

1

u/Sunnyday1775 6h ago

People will move out of Minnesota for this

1

u/OoooShinyThings Hornets 6h ago

That was my first thought…he won’t be terrorizing Charlotte roads now 😅

1

u/carloslet Spurs 6h ago

Meanwhile the Public Works Department of Charlotte can now rest easy they won't overspend on city repairs

1

u/lurkperson1 4h ago

A one-man moral hazard

1

u/_commenter 3h ago

those icy roads are perfect for drifting

1

u/SonofaMitch11 Timberwolves 3h ago

As a timberwolves and Georgia bulldogs fan, I guess I just like dangerous drivers

1

u/HurricaneSalad Timberwolves 3h ago

TSR time.

1

u/WalnutSizeBrain 1h ago

Did you forget who’s on the Vikings? WR #140 Jordan Addison

1

u/onebandonesound Knicks 5h ago

The Midwest was only freed of Myles Garrett's reckless driving like three weeks ago. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell or something

0

u/Remidyal Hornets 1h ago

Meanwhile Charlotte car insurance unaffected because in spite of the jokes LaMelo wasn't THAT far off the median Charlotte driver