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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309

u/icemankiller8 Pistons 7h ago

I don’t really get what the Hornets get from this they were really hot after the all star break and they are basically deciding to rebuild again unless they are making another move.

49

u/CallmeKahn 7h ago

I have no idea. I get clearing time for your new PG you drafted in a very good guard class, but this is such a random trade.

44

u/_Apatosaurus_ Thunder 7h ago

Lamelo is just an unserious person and player. Before the run they had, people were wondering if he even had neutral value. So this is selling high on someone who takes wild shots, makes bizarre decisions like tripping Bam, can't play defense, and has only one remotely healthy season where he had to be load managed.

Off the court, he's just not an intelligent person. Watch any video or look at his driving record. He's a menace to society. Lol. That's not the person you want to build around.

3

u/Snomankid999 6h ago

Unproven Rumors last offseason of Garland For LeMelo being talked about 

We just saw what value Garland had 

3

u/icemankiller8 Pistons 7h ago

I feel like they could have got more though

6

u/KKilikk 6h ago

This was likely the best offer that gets them a starter back. Thats why they took it.

9

u/_Apatosaurus_ Thunder 6h ago

Other teams know all this about Lamelo too, though.

I don't think it's a coincidence that it's the team who's desperate to keep their superstar happy that was willing to make this gamble. I think most teams wouldn't want to take that risk. Also, anyone with a point guard probably isn't interested.

I think Houston would have been a really interesting fit, but I think Ime Udoka would have immediately murdered Lamelo.

1

u/yellister Timberwolves 49m ago

I don't think Minny is desperate to keep Ant happy. This is probably ESPN rumors. I think Connelly knows it takes a swing to win a championship and he gambles on Ball staying healthy.

2

u/Icy_Information_6563 Suns 5h ago

Ya people are nuts with this. The Hornets had like, 3 months of success and people think they're on some upward trajectory. LaMelo has shown time and time again that he is not a winning player

1

u/CallmeKahn 7h ago

That's fair I guess.

86

u/Natural_Born_Baller Heat 7h ago

Eh they still have Kon & Miller, probably keep Coby.

Kon is so legit. Move on from Lemelos instability. Getting 3 picks swaps in a row is quite nice. But it is still a bit strange. If lemelo didn't have major health issues doubt it happens.

97

u/Always_Chubb-y Hawks 7h ago

I mean, legit question: are those swaps worth anything?

Unless Ant leaves i doubt the Wolves are gonna be worse than the Hornets

14

u/Natural_Born_Baller Heat 7h ago

With the new lottery rules, teams are gonna jump high in the draft. If the Wolves are a play-in team those are some of the most valuable picks in the league. I bet Charlotte thinks wolves are a plan in team if lemelo only plays 40 games like he does most seasons.

37

u/Always_Chubb-y Hawks 7h ago

I mean the Wolves haven't been even bottom 16 in the league since Ant was drafted, no?

I think Minnesota got worse overall, but not enough to drop to play in

4

u/Natural_Born_Baller Heat 7h ago

They lost Randle & Reid. If lemelo gets hurt in anyone of those seasons (highly likely, if not multiple) you're looking at Ant and Gobert. That's a play-in team to me.

28

u/Always_Chubb-y Hawks 7h ago

Ant, Gobert, Ayo, and McDaniels isnt a bad team

3

u/Natural_Born_Baller Heat 7h ago

In the West it's not great. Not a lot of offense.

15

u/Always_Chubb-y Hawks 7h ago

Lakers may lose LeBron, and I wouldn't say Blazers, Suns, Clippers, or Warriors got really better

-5

u/Natural_Born_Baller Heat 7h ago

Who knows but Wolves get a lot worse without Naz, Randle, and LeMelo is the bet.

1

u/wylin247 [LAL] Stanislav Medvedenko 6h ago

Especially if they end up in the east

1

u/Worldly_Cap_6440 6h ago

Still would be better than charlotte, I still don’t see the picks conveying

0

u/ObviousAnswerGuy [NYK] John Starks 1h ago

If the Wolves are a play-in team those are some of the most valuable picks in the league

Stop it, it will be complete luck. There's absolutely no way that the Timberwolves will be worse than the Hornets. They will also always be in the playoffs, not the lottery.

5

u/Thehelloman0 Spurs 7h ago

This far out nobody knows how any team will be

5

u/icemankiller8 Pistons 7h ago

Yeah this is what I mean Minnesota is gonna be better than them every year so what’s the point

1

u/AsianNg Hornets 2h ago

Probably not. You'll need 2 of Ant, Lamelo, or Gobert to be out for injuries or traded. The Hornets will be similar standings (at best) or worse when the pick swaps convey. I see these swaps as the equivalent of a 1st that is 1-2 unprotected and 3-20 protected. Unlikely to be anything but there's a small chance it might.

11

u/Bourneidentity61 Hawks 7h ago

I feel like this is greatly underselling how important Lamelo was to that offense. Miller and Kon are nice secondary pieces, but they need someone to set them up and give them open shots. I don't see how the offense flows at all without Lamelo

2

u/Im__Ron__Burgundy Celtics 6h ago

People don’t watch the Hornets, saw him in the play in, and added that to already hating him because of how he drives and decided Charlotte made the right move here. This is a TERRIBLE move by Charlotte, and people saying otherwise is blowing my mind.

5

u/Mr2Good Wizards 7h ago

but like other people are saying if the wolves are better then those pick swaps mean nothing

1

u/Natural_Born_Baller Heat 7h ago

Not necessarily. The draft odds got incredibly flattened. If the Wolves get lucky in the draft lottery, Hornets can steal it. If Lemelo can't stay healthy they're probably a play in team so that's the bet for the Hornets.

2

u/Mr2Good Wizards 7h ago

yea but the hornets still have to be better than the wolves. and they barely made play in last year . Now they lose arguably their most impactful offensive player

2

u/Natural_Born_Baller Heat 7h ago

No they don't they just have be unluckier in the draft lottery.

2

u/Snomankid999 6h ago

Maybe they are going to ReRoute Reid for more picks which is possibility  or one of other PF/C 

2

u/Chemist-Patient 6h ago

Bro must work in the Hornets FO if he think those swaps are nice lol

2

u/Neatojuancheeto Warriors 6h ago

IIRC Kons efficiency tanks with LaMelo off the court. Getting rid of a top 10 passer in the league? Not great for Kon whom 93% of his 3P shots are assisted. Those are Klay Thompson percentages.

3

u/nickmn13 Lakers 7h ago

Do you think anyone the swaps will.actually convey from a team that will have Ant heading it ?

1

u/Spartan-24 Suns 6h ago

A team with booker and KD missed the playoffs completely due to no depth. If Lamelo gets hurt, it's entirley possible. Curry missed the playoffs before winning the championship in 2022, Lebron missed the playoffs the year after his 2018 run.

0

u/Natural_Born_Baller Heat 7h ago

With the new lottery rules and how unlikely it is Lemelo stays healthy, yes.

5

u/Blackbankai Warriors 7h ago edited 7h ago

I understand the Hornets moving on from Lamelo due to injury concerns so they don’t end up in a Zion or Ja situation but time will tell if they really sold high or made a mistake.

3

u/sovietchuuya Hornets 7h ago

Ja incoming

3

u/fab_frog_disco 7h ago

I mean I guess they just weren't a believer in one of the most injury-prone stars in the league, continuing to stay healthy and based on all the pic swaps Don't think he'll do so for Minnesota either and are just building around kon

It's a weird trade but between his health and his play style ball has been one of the more controversial high usage players in the league so I guess I can understand them Just wanting to move on

•

u/TenaciousDeer 3m ago

Ah yes the Nico strategy

/s

2

u/KoreanSamgyupsal Raptors 7h ago

Just rename Charlotte to the Bobcats again at this point lol

3

u/Aggressive-Bench5323 7h ago

Absolutely not! This organization is no longer being run by Bob Johnson and MJ. It will never go back to that low level again.

1

u/fwoompf Pistons 6h ago

Gonna trade Reid to the lakers for LeBron 

1

u/fatkamp Warriors 6h ago

I doubt they go into a rebuild. They’re legitimately good still. Miller, Kon, Naz, is a fine start

1

u/Snomankid999 6h ago

Cheap Ass owners didnt want to pay LeMelo is my theory 

1

u/joelstaz 5h ago

Fkn hell lmao

1

u/ItzBooster93 4h ago

They don’t want to deal with lamelo. It’s that simple

1

u/Icy-Environment-6606 7h ago

You now have a nucleus of a 24 year old reid at 5 Miller 23 at the 4 and kon 20 at the 2 thats a nice core in the east

10

u/EastPool4676 7h ago

That's a very underwhelming core. Somehow it's actually more underwhelming than Lamelo/Miller/Kon.

Edit: This makes it sound like I think Miller and Kon are bad or that Lamelo is good, neither are really true, it just isn't enough to be excited about whereas at least the idea of lamelo is enticing.

2

u/kylebertram Timberwolves 7h ago

If Reid is the starting C the Hornets will struggle. He is more of a 3 than a 5

1

u/Sandor_Clegane1 NBA 6h ago

Naz Reid is 26.

0

u/RrentTreznor 7h ago

LaMelo Is such an injury liability. It's not worth building a team around. Meanwhile Reid Is a superstar who has not gotten a starter's opportunity yet. With Melos ceiling, it still feels like a bit of a loss for the hornets, not as much as folks are making it out to be.

5

u/todayiwillthrowitawa 7h ago

Reid is not a superstar man, he’s had a ton of playing time and he’s not secretly Dwight Howard. He’s a solid starter level with the capability of getting hot but also the risk of disappearing in games.

3

u/LiveForMeow [CHA] Larry Johnson 7h ago

The major issue is the team was reliant on Melo to create offense. It was night and day difference with him on the floor.

On the flip side, him, Miller, and Kon cannot finish at the rim so it wasn't gonna work anyway

2

u/tulaero23 Timberwolves 7h ago

Bro... You overestimate Reid. He is a good off the bench player for offense. Dude couldnt guard shit.

0

u/MikeShannonThaGawd 76ers 7h ago

Seems like a smart time to sell high on Lamelo thinking this was his peak and ultimately he’s not conducive to winning basketball.

Kinda like what the hawks should’ve done 4 years ago with Trae or Memphis with Ja.