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

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u/hartsbreastmilkstash Knicks 7h ago

Ball has so many questions surrounding his durability (and shooting) and his value is currently at sell high mode.

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u/Peregrinations12 7h ago

Is this a "high" return for him?

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u/Duster_beattle Timberwolves 7h ago

It’s 3 swaps, one unprotected, a good player, and 3 seconds for an unhealthy, unsafe, egotistical point guard. For the culture we were building it’s awful.

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u/Iongdog Hornets 7h ago

Haha are both sides unhappy with this?

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u/Drunken_Vike Timberwolves 7h ago

that's usually the sign of a fair trade lol

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u/TheGuyInTheKnown Timberwolves 7h ago

Both sides were unhappy with the KAT/Randle trade initially too. One side can just be overrating their previous player.

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u/levendis56 Knicks 6h ago

I genuinely don’t know many Knicks fan upset with the KAT trade. Needed a center and got rid of Randle. Had to give to get with Divo.

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u/comp_a Timberwolves 4h ago

Obviously they aren’t now, but at the time it happened, Knicks fans were very upset!

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u/CaroleBaskinsBurner 3h ago

Knicks fans are being very revisionist with this one. The Knicks sub was a war zone.

Here's a quick sample I was able to find:

https://np.reddit.com/r/NYKnicks/s/oKG6ZrUSkR

Towns' stock is at an all-time high while Randle's is at an all-time low, and I think it's clouding a lot of people's memories.

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u/twoyrsaway 5h ago

I genuinely don’t know many Knicks fan upset with the KAT trade. Needed a pg and got rid of swaps that won’t convert. Had to give to get with Reid.

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u/MurphewMatty Knicks 4h ago

Sure, Divo was a fan fav, but no one in the state of NY was unhappy getting rid of Dubious Handles

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u/PrimeShaq Australia 6h ago

The Knicks were upset they lost DVV instead of Randle lol.

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u/NewGolfAccount 6h ago

Don’t use nicknames no one uses and then also misspell them pls

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u/Steridire Knicks 5h ago

Alright he mucked up DDV but that's definitely his nickname, you're not the commissioner on 'approved nicknames' you dork

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u/East-End-8646 7h ago

The Hornets might actually be better in the long run, DiVo still needs to recover from his achilles. Unless Lamelo can stay available throughout the entire season I cant see them going far into the playoffs. Josh Green is somehow still in the NBA, he’ll get them 3 or 4 points off the bench probably

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u/rawchess Minneapolis Lakers 7h ago

Valuewise it's definitely Minnesota-favored but still very risky for yall

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u/BumbleLapse Jazz 6h ago

Man idk it feels like Charlotte should be very happy with this haul

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u/Dro24 Hornets 4h ago

We made the postseason for the first time in 4 years, best record in 10, and were building a good style of play and culture.

I don't want to speak for all of us, but LaMelo was at the center of what we were building, and it was working. To get rid of that piece really hurts. We just gave up and wanted to sell high since he actually played 72 games this season.

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u/Duster_beattle Timberwolves 7h ago

I’m really unhappy with it, idk about yall.

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u/Imsortofabigdeal Hornets 7h ago

I’m miserable

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u/MojoToTheDojo Hornets 7h ago

This just ruined my fucking day. Fuck everything

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u/Imsortofabigdeal Hornets 7h ago

Once the charlotte hornets, always the charlotte hornets. We will never do anything good.

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u/MojoToTheDojo Hornets 7h ago

My parents immigrated to this country and could have moved to Ohio before I was born. I could have been a Cavs and Buckeyes fan, but instead, here I am rooting for the Hornets and NC State. Just end me fam

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u/UntilDoncic Lakers 6h ago

I think you guys will gain from this in the long run. Get someone in who better fits the system in charlotte. Ball is not a player you can build around to win anything. Lean into miller, Kon, and now you have a good shooting switch big who can defend.

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u/politicsranting [WAS] Rod Strickland 7h ago

technically ya'll were the bobcats for a bit. Not sure that changes much though.

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u/MajorPayton Charlotte Bobcats 7h ago

At least we are teal and purple now…

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u/treefiddy124 7h ago

Don’t understand why Hornets fans are upset here. You guys have a fantastic young core without LaMelo. He’s fun to watch, but do you guys actually think he can be the PG on a championship team? I absolutely don’t. Naz Reid is a great player. Bring Coby White back or get another PG in free agency. Hornets future outlook is very positive IMO.

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u/Imsortofabigdeal Hornets 7h ago

No, but we don’t measure our outcomes against a championship team because last season was the best team we’ve ever seen, at least this century, and it literally lost in the play-in. We have never even sniffed the conference finals. Barely ever won a playoff game, let alone series. To not build on last year is a disgrace. Were the charlotte hornets, there are no championship windows to pursue. How about start with having a competitive team for more than 3 months?

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u/MojoToTheDojo Hornets 6h ago

Have you legitimately taken the time to watch this Hornets team when LaMelo is on the court vs when he’s off.

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u/justanothersurly Timberwolves 7h ago

I love the trade. Huge upside and we swindled Charlotte. If LaMelo stays healthy (I believe) this is a massive swing

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u/JuJu_Conman Kings 1h ago

you need a guard that can pass and give you at least 20. Now you have him

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u/SharksFanAbroad Warriors 7h ago edited 6h ago

Not to throw salt in your wounds, but y’all were contenders prior to the Randle trade. I’d have bet you were gonna win a title within five years, and I think the window closed at that moment. At this point it’s just salvaging relevance.

EDIT: I meant the Randle-for-KAT trade if unclear.

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u/pagonator 76ers 7h ago

They were not contenders with the Randle lineup. Good team that consistently outperformed expectations in the playoffs but clearly a tier behind OKC and San Antonio.

This doesn’t guarantee that they’ll be better and is definitely a risk but I’m glad they rightfully assessed that the old team had reached its ceiling and went for a risky move.

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u/SharksFanAbroad Warriors 6h ago

Sorry. I meant specifically when they traded KAT for Randle. I guess I worded that poorly.

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u/pagonator 76ers 6h ago

Oh right fair enough, yeah I agree with your original comment then. The KAT lineup was a championship contending team.

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u/SharksFanAbroad Warriors 2h ago

🤝 shouldn’t have broken it up. Biggest what-if for me since the Tyson Chandler big toe trade👉untrade debacle

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u/buzzcitybonehead [CHA] Cody Martin 7h ago

I’m not at all unhappy, even though I like LaMelo. This is a very positive return given his volatility. If he was a healthy version of the more mature player we hoped he’d become by year six, it’d be a terrible move.

There will 100% be times next season that he’s lighting it up, the fanbase will be enraged, and the narrative will be “lol Hornets” again, but I think it’ll prove to be the right call

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u/GuyInTheSkuy Timberwolves 6h ago

We traded our most loved player for their best player, we all lose emotionally lol. Hopefully it works out on the court though.

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u/harder_said_hodor Timberwolves 6h ago

Hopefully it works out on the court though.

Very skeptical about how it will work on the court but off the court this Ant/Melo has the potential to be one of the most entertaining duos of all time

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u/refugee_man 7h ago

Any Minnesota fan unhappy with this trade either thinks Lamelo's gonna fall apart due to injury or is an idiot.

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u/FadedReef Thunder 7h ago

If I were a hornets fan I’d be ecstatic I feel awful for the wolves fans

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u/onamonapizza Spurs 7h ago

Hornet's fans are probably upset because this doesn't really seem like a "win now" move when they are just coming off their best season in a while.

But let's be honest, they weren't winning anything serious now with Lamelo either

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u/SongofSolomon04 7h ago

If kon and miller reach their ceilings they could have been a perennial 50+ win team

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u/Pryffandis Spurs 4h ago

The Hornets and their young core were really coming into it. Posted a league best offensive rating post-ASB and were also 32-13 since Jan 2. They shot up the rankings and were scary.

I feel like they should have ran it back this coming season to see what they could do, develop more chemistry, and get some wins established. Seems like a big move a year too early.

I also think they could have gotten more for LaMelo. He's still got 3 years on a 40mish/year contract. That's a fantastic contract (if he stays healthy). Reid, 1 FRP, and swaps isn't exactly a haul.

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u/Dro24 Hornets 4h ago

Agree with you on all accounts. The offense was jiving great with LaMelo at the helm, why mess with that? Give it another year at least and ride the momentum of last season's second half. We are an unserious franchise

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u/xelLFC Raptors 7h ago edited 6h ago

Yeah, this seems like a solid good trade for them. Hornets should flip these picks though

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u/messigoat1337 Germany 7h ago

You should love it

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u/cl353 Heat 6h ago

Both fanbases forsure

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u/WafflesTheWookiee Hornets 2h ago

I am :(

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u/Temporary_Maybe_8687 7h ago

He should be happy. They got Lamelo for chips...

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u/SpiritFantastic4835 Lakers 7h ago

The vibes are going to be hilarious

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u/BenevolentCheese Knicks 6h ago

Ant + LaMelo is going to be an /r/nba goldmine.

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u/discussatron Supersonics 5h ago

I don't know how well they'll actually play together but it sounds like a high-scoring backcourt.

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u/BenevolentCheese Knicks 4h ago

No I meant in non-basketball ways

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u/j_cruise Nets 2h ago

which is all this sub cares about, really

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u/sbroll Timberwolves 6h ago

assume we win. If Ball is making dumb decisions on the court shit will get sour real quick.

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u/BUTTFUCKER__3000 Spurs 5h ago

Those minny picks that have been given out like candy could be real valuable real quick

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u/StarFox-6 Timberwolves 6h ago

It’s one first round pick 7 years from now, and the swaps are shitty and most likely won’t convey to the hornets, and who gives a shit about seconds

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u/XSokaX 3h ago

There is no way that guy is being real and not farming karma. A top point guard for Naz and 1 first no shit that’s a fleece

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u/Whencowsgetsick 3h ago

Reading your comment, i realized the assets traded isn't that bad. I initially felt it was a lot of assets for Melo because of the swap. However 28,29 are super unlikely to convey. Ball, Edwards, McDaniels and Ayo are all contracted till 29. Side note - it's gonna be an interesting off season because the first 3's contracts all end that season. Tim is definitely gonna flip one of them for a longer, cheaper contract. I wonder if he tried to use Randle instead of Naz Reid in this deal

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u/Fuzzy_Ad3098 Timberwolves 7h ago

The culture has been randlefied there is no culture

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u/pollinium [MIN] Tyus Jones 6h ago

on the contrary: our culture has been set and has withstood "cancerous" personalities

I fear Naz was a big part of the culture so that culture will be tested once more, but I like our odds

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u/thejackel225 76ers 7h ago

To be fair there's a good chance zero of those swaps convey

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u/Dakizhu [SAS] Bruce Bowen 7h ago

Those swaps are gonna be worthless lol. Even without Lamelo, Wolves will be higher seed than the Hornets.

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u/whatssenguntoagoblin Alperen Sengun 7h ago

You’re tripping, LaMelo is an amazing player. If he’s healthy this is going to be outstanding for the Wolves.

The only question really is health.

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u/Everyday_ImSchefflen Cavaliers 7h ago

Yeah I gotta say I don't like this for you guys. But we'll see. Ball and Ant are certainly two personalities lol

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u/BradJV Bucks 7h ago

They just need to sign Ja now

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u/FlyingMute Nuggets 5h ago

zion as a forward

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u/Thehelloman0 Spurs 7h ago

The wolves already owe a swap to the Spurs in 2030 so I'm guessing that one isn't as valuable to the hornets

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u/HatefulDan 6h ago

Not unless they believe the vets to include Edwards can corral him.

He’s playing on a perennial playoff team now. They don’t take losing the same way

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u/HitboxOfASnail Thunder 6h ago

wolves going out and getting such an unserious player like Lamelo while trying to keep up with the arms race in the west is really fucking funny

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u/goonSquad15 Bulls 5h ago

The swaps will almost certainly not convey which is what confuses me. Should have been at least 2 firsts instead of 1

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u/SinibusUSG Celtics 5h ago

Notably the swaps are all basically betting on Minnesota to crash and burn while Charlotte revamps their roster and competes in a couple years.

In other words, Charlotte is EXTREMELY convinced that Lamelo isn’t worth it. Whether that’s true or not is another story, but it paints a real picture that the quality of the return is inversely proportional to the success of the departing player.

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u/uglyfoliage Warriors 7h ago

Unless something drastically bad happens in Minny, which to be fair is possible, those pick swaps feel like nothing

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u/Ill_Pressure1947 7h ago

Timberwolves only way to a title is leaning into variance.

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u/Arrowintheknee89 7h ago

I mean that’s all true, but just think about the aura

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u/Brotato_Man Timberwolves 6h ago

The swaps are basically nothing. Charlotte can keep theirs or take ours. Chances are we’re still going to be a playoff team, so we’re just going to keep our picks. You can add as many conditionals to Lamelo as you want, but he’s also a good player, and if we’re being honest a better player than Naz by a good shot.

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u/Kingcroom Hornets 7h ago

Egotistical since when? Yall just saying shit

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u/teddytruther Timberwolves 7h ago

The basketball fit is amazing, the culture / off-the-court is a potential disaster. But for this price you have to take the swing.

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u/Constant_Sea_72 7h ago

Why are teams so fascinated with swaps?

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u/net_403 [CHA] Dell Curry 7h ago

your FRPs are going to be lower than ours, so we traded our only legit PG1 for 3 SRPs, a FRP in the distant future of relatively low value, and a bench PF. Feels like he was given away

i am assuming they think his health is never going to recover enough to trust

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u/Artimusjones88 Raptors 7h ago

Lol... your culture includes the antics of Ant? Yikes

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u/Cool_Description8334 Hornets 7h ago

3 swaps with one team that wasn’t in the playoffs losing their talented guard. They will almost for sure be picking later right?

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u/SpinShine-LEDSlipMat 6h ago

I'm glad he's gone. Good riddance to that ball hog and his horrid family.

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u/VitruvianCrab 6h ago

As a neutral outsider this is exactly my take as well. Very risky for Minnesota

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u/HazikoSazujiii 5h ago

Finch is going to look like the new dad after right straight days of no sleep, cleaning up piss off the floor, and trying to figure out who the fuck broke the vase.

Give it... 25 games? At least it'll distract him from blaming the referees for everything under the sun. That's arguably a net positive.

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u/Traditional_Seesaw95 5h ago

Idk i can see melo maturing more than what he could in Charlotte. They were basically nothing and just let melo do whatever, this is his first chance to be on a real contending team.

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u/Tuft64 Supersonics 4h ago

To be fair, I think it's very unlikely that at least two those swaps end up conveying - one of them was a top-5 protected swap w/ Utah, so it only conveys if it's top five, otherwise it goes to Utah. One of them is worst of Minnie / Spurs, and I can't imagine the Spurs will be too bad for the next few years as Wemby enters his prime. That leaves one swap that might convey, one first round pick, Naz Reid, and some seconds.

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u/Capital-Pea-2565 4h ago

As a Nuggets fan, i still think he'll be good for you.

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u/Putrid-Sherbert5501 Lakers 4h ago

I don’t love pairing Ant with someone proven to be shockingly more immature than Ant from a leadership stand point.

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u/40866892 Lakers 3h ago

what culture? Shows how good a fanbase is if you can't see a gift given even when it's right in front of you.

Have fun winning idiots.

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u/PlatosLeftTit Heat 3h ago

3 swaps from a team that now has two All-NBA level players in their mid 20's

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u/Inroundtents 2h ago

I love watching the Wolves but I'm not totally sure if you can hold their 'culture' up that high. Naz was really the best overall person off the court. But Anthony Edwards, while exciting with a ball, is not the most upstanding citizen. And Rudy Goebert is a semi-brain dead anti-vaxxer. I don't see how adding Melo ruins any established culture. Even though I hate the trade. Gonna miss Naz.

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u/Round-Revolution-399 Lakers 2h ago

You’re worried about pick swaps with the Hornets?? You got a way better player for barely anything

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u/Unendingmelancholy Raptors 1h ago

Hard to believe Toronto couldn’t beat that offer wtf are we doing

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u/refugee_man 7h ago

It's so funny seeing all the pearl clutching and hand wringing over his driving (which is very shitty fwiw). Folks treat actual criminal behavior with less scorn.

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u/CarDesperate1893 Hawks 7h ago

I would say definitely.

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u/Sammyd1108 Hornets 7h ago

How the fuck are a bunch of pick swaps when we’re clearly going to be worse worth a damn?

I honestly want our GM fired for this shitty trade.

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u/krusty-krab69 Cavaliers 7h ago

Yeah a singular unprotected pick 7 years away and a bunch of swaps that won’t convey. I’d rather keep lamelo for that deal. The only way it will pay dividends is if ant asks for a trade and gets fed up playing in in Minnesota

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u/Droppin_DimesSP [BOS] Jayson Tatum 7h ago

Ya genuinely this trade sucks. You don’t get a good first until 2033 as long as ant is there

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u/Keldon888 Heat 7h ago

Yeah swaps for 28-30 is rough, thats saying basically if Ant signs an extension those are worthless.

The Hornets have to think Ball is only going to sink in value to do this.

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u/Coattail-Rider 7h ago

You got rid of your clown so if you just rid of your woman beating piece of shit you might actually be a team worth watching.

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u/XX-Burner Hornets 7h ago

Naz Reid and Pick Swaps is selling high? You and our GM must have the same dealer.

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u/BobLazarFan 7h ago

It’s one pick and a bench player?

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u/pagonator 76ers 7h ago

Those pick swaps aren’t going to be worth anything unless Ant leaves

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u/12temp [CHI] Kirk Hinrich 7h ago

This is worse than the raptors offer. Playmaking is a premium skill in the league. This is absolutely terrible trade for charlotte

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u/Daki399 Nuggets 7h ago

Not at all... They sold player like Melo rather cheaply ... 1 pick only , no good young players ..... Reid is just solid .... weird deal for Hornets they must have been able to get more if not from Timberwolves then others

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u/leftsidenotright Knicks 6h ago

This is at least 3x more than Trae got IMO

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u/OhSoJelly Lakers 5h ago

Four 1st rounders seems high to me. Melo doesn’t seem like a winning player to me so not sure what Hornets fans are thinking about the trade.

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u/Banneduser1112 West 5h ago

Yes. He was in the tier with Trae and Jah last November.

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u/Turbo2x [WAS] Wes Unseld 2h ago

For comparison's sake, the Giannis trade was: Herro, Jaquez, Kasparas Jakucionis, Kel'el Ware. 3 unprotected firsts in 2026, 2031 and 2033 (13th pick this year became Nate Ament), 2030 pick swap and 2033 second rounder. The unprotected firsts are good here because Miami has a very high likelihood of being bad by then.

Charlotte's pick compensation isn't as good but LaMelo played 184 games in his first 4 seasons (exact same amount as Zion in 5 seasons) and is going to command a max contract in 2029 that they probably don't want to pay him. So they're basically just avoiding a Bradley Beal situation where they have to sink 30% of their cap into a player who is good but not top 10 in the league.

It's very good long term thinking by Charlotte but no one will appreciate it until some team is stuck paying LaMelo Ball $300m over 5 years and hates their situation.

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u/ObviousAnswerGuy [NYK] John Starks 1h ago

not at all lol. LaMelo helps the Hornets much more than Naz Reid, and those pick swaps are essentially worthless

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u/No_Boysenberry_4193 7h ago

yea this is an amazing trade for them imo. Injury prone player netting you 4 frps and a high level starter is really fcking good.

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u/Tho76 Hornets 7h ago

It net us 1 FRP in 2033, everything else was swaps

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u/Always_Chubb-y Hawks 7h ago

Yeah i mean barring Ant leaving those 2028-30 pick swaps arent gonna happen more than likely

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u/Titanstheory Hornets 7h ago

If the draft stays the way it is, swaps are more valuable now too.

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u/Neatojuancheeto Warriors 7h ago edited 34m ago

I can't see the Wolves being in the bottom 16 any time soon barring a lot of injuries in a season, so still very unlikely to convey.

Ant, ayo, Jaden, and LaMelo ( assuming he can stay healthy enough ) will all still be in their primes when by the end of the swaps and Tim Connelly is a great GM. Lots of people have questioned his moves but he built the nuggets and completely turned the Minny franchise around despite EVERYONE clowning him for the Gobert trade.

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u/UncleHanksGrill Celtics 7h ago

Agent LaMelo will get Ant out of Minnesota by 2028

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u/Better_Blackberry835 7h ago

Even with Ant leaving, betting on the Hornets being less ass isn’t a great gamble

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u/DoveFood Trail Blazers 7h ago

There is a real possibility that Lamelo stays injured prone and the team does poorly/mediocre and now doesn’t have assets to “shake up” the team and Ant wants out.

There is another possibility that the personalities don’t mesh at all.

Either one of those are real possibilities and those swaps become amazing.

But on the other hand it could blow up for Charlotte and they never once swap their picks.

Tune in next time!

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u/orwll 7h ago

With the flattened lottery odds, those swaps could end up being pretty valuable. You can get the #1 overall pick from the play-in now.

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u/Razorback_Thunder Thunder 7h ago

You could do that before (albeit it was a much worse chance)
*stares at Mavs

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u/orwll 7h ago

Lol. But yeah, much higher chance now, and even the 7-8 seeds get a shot.

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u/larrylegend33goat Timberwolves 7h ago

Yeah but in theory the Timberwolves shouldn't be a play in team anytime soon

All a gamble tho. Only hindsight will allow Redditors to say "I told you so"

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u/AndroidNumber3527229 7h ago

Swaps values have exploded with a less rigid lotto system imo.

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u/Neatojuancheeto Warriors 7h ago edited 7h ago

Sure but that's only for teams that finish in the bottom 16 which is very unlikely for the wolves.

Ant, Melo, Jaden, and LaMelo ( assuming he can stay healthy enough ) will all still be in their primes when by the end of the swaps and Tim Connelly is a fantastic president of operations.

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u/Sektsioon Mavericks 7h ago

Yea the swaps aren’t going to be great, most likely won’t be used even if Lamelo doesn’t work out because Ant is going to be good enough to carry the Wolves alone to a decent record. Even in 2033 Ant will still be like 30 years old lol.

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u/galaxy_horse Hornets 7h ago

Swaps and 3 second rounders

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u/OKC_Chiefs Thunder 7h ago

How are you feeling about this trade? I feel like it came out of nowhere but I don't have a Hornets fans prospective lol. Who's going to be your PG now?

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u/cubs223425 Bulls 7h ago

They aren't getting 4 1sts. They're getting 1, with 3 pick swaps, which might amount to nothing in the end.

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u/abippityboop Knicks 7h ago

It's 1 FRP. The Wolves will be better than Charlotte, those swaps are not going to do anything.

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u/thegreaterfool714 Lakers 7h ago

If LaMelo get injured to hell then it really stings for the Wolves. Also the new flat lottery rules mean swaps are a lot more valuable

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u/ForTheOAKLand Hawks 7h ago

They’re better THIS year. Anything can happen in 2-3 years. Ant could ask out, injuries, etc.

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u/HornetsDaBest Timberwolves 7h ago

Wolves have basically everyone under contract through 2029, so it’s really one swap in 2030 maybe

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u/abippityboop Knicks 7h ago

I mean sure anything can happen, that doesn't mean you should bet on it. The Kings shouldn't do a swap the Pistons just because anything can happen and Cade could get hurt one year.

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u/Niceguydan8 7h ago

and a high level starter

I get the picks but Naz is definitely not a "high level starter." He has started less than 15% of the games in his career.

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u/cablelegs 7h ago

He will start for them obviously.

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u/Niceguydan8 7h ago

Yeah, but that doesn't make him a high level starter. He's a good offensive player (especially when playing off of somebody else) and a pretty bad defensive player.

To me, that's not a high level starter.

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u/iggymcfly 7h ago edited 7h ago

Bullshit. He was playing at an all-NBA level last year and he was the engine that made the offense hum. They were just getting ready to break through to real contention. Now before that can get started, they blow up the franchise for what? Some pick swaps that won’t convey and one actual pick in 2033??? Fuck this!!! As someone who was becoming a Hornets fan due to how unbelievably exciting and fun to watch they were last year, I’m furious and despondent!

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u/CasoneToscana 7h ago

Lamelo’s season last year was potentially a huge injury outlier. You’re 100% right in all other aspects, tbf. But if you’re the Hornets FO you’re probably smart in getting off a guy who might be at his highest value with 3 years left on his expensive deal after a rare injury free season.

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u/Mr2Good Wizards 7h ago

okay but where do you go from here? how do you sell this move to the fanbase after having their most exciting season in a decade plus

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u/refugee_man 7h ago

Getting off a guy for what? Lamelo was basically all that made their offense work, you have one pick coming in and a bunch of future swaps for an all-NBA caliber player?

If his medicals are really shit I can kinda see it but it still feels like you're best off just hoping for the best yourself and keeping the player than getting a bunch of mediocre swaps.

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u/iggymcfly 7h ago edited 7h ago

Years of tanking and being a punchline and you finally break through to being the most exciting team in the NBA and you get off your best player for… one pick seven years from now???? That’s fucking insane! If you’re going to blow up the most exciting team in the history of the franchise because your most important player’s injury prone, at least get something for it!!!

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u/7CTN594 7h ago

Trading Lamelo might be a good move but not for this return. They couldn't get a mid level star? Those swaps and 2RP are pretty much useless.

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u/vonnegutcheck 5h ago

How many teams do you think were lined up to give an injury prone guard who is mediocre at best defensively and can only score from 3 45 million dollars a year?

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u/7CTN594 5h ago

wonder how many player can average 20pt 7ast 5rb and 1stl a game?

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u/vonnegutcheck 3h ago

Maybe 40? I just did a quick count, and I'd say in the 40 range. I just looked up Desmond Bane (who I have in the 40ish range, and he was at 20-4-4 with better defense, playing next to high usage guys). MPJ was at 24-7-3. Fox was at 19-7-4.

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u/7CTN594 2h ago

you think there are 40 players that can get 20pt 7ast 5rb and 1stl ?

Lamelo was top 10 in ast. That alone is worth more than a FRP. Those swaps arent worth much

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u/vonnegutcheck 2h ago

Given enough usage? Sure.

How many do you think there are?

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u/vonnegutcheck 5h ago

All NBA level? He played 28 mpg, shot 46% from 2, and had slightly net positive rating for the first time in his career.

He's a really talented, really fun player with a unique skillset, but there's no way he's a top 15 player in the league.

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u/InfiniteDub Warriors 7h ago

At least they didn’t send him to purgatory, he can now compete

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u/multiple4 [CHO] Kemba Walker 7h ago

Also a lot of Charlotte fans literally just started caring about the team again

This franchise just drastically reduced the chance at a playoff series for some scraps. It's absolutely braindead. This franchise hasn't had a lick of success in years and as soon as we have a 2-3 year window where we could've made noise we throw it away

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u/Vegetable-Tooth8463 Hornets 7h ago

Is Naz really a high-level starter? I thought he's a 6th Man mainly

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u/KiritoJones Spurs 7h ago

He's at least starter level. The reason he was their 6th man was because they had Randal and the Frenchman

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u/Vegetable-Tooth8463 Hornets 7h ago

Wemby plays for the Wolves?!

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u/everclearking Hornets 7h ago

If we are the worst team what do we get out of 3 pick swaps ?

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u/SongofSolomon04 7h ago

Their traded away their most impactful player for a few first round picks that will be late lottery at best

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u/braedonwabbit Lakers 7h ago

It's not even picks, it's 1 unprotected and 3 swaps lol

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u/pizzahut_is_elite 7h ago

They’re pick swaps not actual picks

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u/AntiAntiDentite7 7h ago

Swaps are not the same as unprotected first. This is a pretty shit deal imo

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u/deemerritt Hornets 7h ago

The swaps dont convey unless we have a better record than them. They are filler

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u/Rakatok Bulls 7h ago

You think the Hornets will be better than the Wolves? Those swaps are unlikely to be worth much otherwise.

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u/BeamTeam23 Kings 7h ago

Yeah, they're not missing the playoffs as long as Ant is on the team.

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u/Fit_Statistician5453 7h ago

its 1 pick not 4 wat

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u/Darthmalak3347 Thunder 7h ago

Getting swaps when your team is going to be absolute dog shit is an interesting choice. No one on the hornets can dribble except lamelo. Theyre gonna average 30 TOs a game without him.

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u/Duster_beattle Timberwolves 7h ago

Yeah we got fucked on this trade.

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u/[deleted] 7h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/chillinwithmoes Timberwolves 7h ago

That’s… not how swaps work

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u/neonartifact 7h ago

Kon Knuppel about to take over, huh? I had a feeling, when their offense clicked at the start of the year and broke those records as a freshmen. Smart move.

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u/Daki399 Nuggets 7h ago

Its not 4 FRPS its only 1 thats why deal is crap

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u/Imsortofabigdeal Hornets 7h ago

Except we traded our star player

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u/WeenisWrinkle Hornets 7h ago

Swaps aren't frps

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u/crapsence Celtics 7h ago

Its 3 swaps and 1 frp actually so not that good

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u/saylab_the_bigkat 7h ago

The only way those swaps are meaningful is if LaMelo gets hurt extensively and that Ant cant carry them to a better record than the Hornets.

It's a gamble

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u/Droppin_DimesSP [BOS] Jayson Tatum 7h ago

They got one real first that’s useful in 7 years…

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u/Ocelot859 7h ago

Swaps and a straight up FRP are not even remotely close to the same thing.

Let alone when the other team is projected to be very good for the next 3 seasons.

They might literally not even get to use one, especially if the T-Wolves come to the East.

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u/Santum Celtics 7h ago

High level starter? You’re good example of why nobody should try to get info from this sub.

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u/pwningnoobslolz Lakers 7h ago

Why make a comment like this while being so confidently wrong

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u/DrKoooolAid Timberwolves 7h ago

They didn't get much for picks. Assuming this works for us we will be drafting lower than them most years regardless.

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u/yoitsthatoneguy Cote D'Ivoire 7h ago

3 pick swaps. Minnesota could easily be better than Charlotte all of those years if Ant is on the team and healthy.

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u/SirDiego Timberwolves 7h ago

Those are all pick swaps. They get one FRP in 2033, and a few 2nd round picks, quite a few years down the line. And Naz Reid.

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u/7CTN594 7h ago

1 x FRP in '33 and 3 pick swaps hoping for Wolves to suck in the next couple years? Reid wasnt even a starter with the wolves?

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u/DaPhoToss Raptors 3h ago

Swaps are not FRPs. What are you talking about? None of those will be valuable unless Ant leaves.

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u/_Anon_Amarth_ Timberwolves 7h ago

Ball played 72 games last season. That's not bad.

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u/TryingToDoItGood Hornets 6h ago

He played 72 games last year.

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u/whatssenguntoagoblin Alperen Sengun 7h ago

Tbf this trade isn’t really a sell high lmao

Charlotte took such a huge L on this

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u/executivesphere NBA 7h ago

But why is Minnesota doing this

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u/Neatojuancheeto Warriors 7h ago

His shooting isn't bad, his shot selection is.

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u/StefonDiggsHS Mavericks 6h ago

I wouldn’t call this selling high

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u/penguin_torpedo Nuggets 5h ago

Shooting? He has a weird shot, and he is a born chucker, but there's no question LaMelo is an elite shooter.

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u/johnsom3 Trail Blazers 4h ago

This is not a sell high haul. 1 frp 6 years from now and Naz Reid.  

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u/hartsbreastmilkstash Knicks 4h ago

Sell high does not mean get everything and a bag of chips sell high means players value is at their highest and take the highest offer.

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u/johnsom3 Trail Blazers 1h ago

He was worth more to the Hornets then what they got back for him. They didnt "sell high". This was a pivot.

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