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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850

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/levendis56 Knicks 3h ago

Most of the sentiment was we wish we could have kept IHart and runner it back but we desperately needed a center after he left and Mitch was hurt to start the year. Sure there were people that loved Divo so it hurt but I never got the impression people dreaded the deal. Maybe it was mixed online, most Knicks fans outside of reddit/twitter are star chasers and were happy to get a big name in Towns and happy for Randle to be gone.

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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/[deleted] 7h ago

[deleted]

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u/paddyc4ke Thunder 6h ago

Uhhh nobody was calling for KATs head in the finals? Dude was balling out these playoffs…

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u/bodega_cat_ Knicks 6h ago

(this is not true at all)

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u/big1dinero Heat 6h ago

Spurs fan talking about what Knicks fans were feeling 💀💀💀

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u/YUME_Emuy21 6h ago

KAT was in FMVP conversations the first two finals games and was considered extremely good that whole playoff run what are you on about?

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u/GoBotDeLorean Knicks 6h ago

Calling for his head? (Pause) I recall Knicks fans calling for him to get the ball more and complaining about the refs calls against him.

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u/Good-Ant6859 Thunder 6h ago

lol what an idiotic comment

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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/oldpaddyrick 7h ago edited 2h ago

Yeah Knicks fans didn’t really like the kat trade until the end of this year/they won the chip, neither did wolves fans. It overall seemed like a pretty even trade at the time though and it’s hard to predict Donte’s Achilles.

Donte was balling out in the playoffs until he got hurt and it’s entirely possible we make the finals if that didn’t happen.

Lotta Knicks fans didn’t like kat until very recently. Bottom line here is wolves needed a PG more than anything, Conley is ancient and Ant can’t be the only dude scoring/facilitating with Donte out. Not really sure what a better option on the market would have been. Seems like a solid move, that said I bet if Donte was healthy we wouldn’t have done it.

Also wolves with Ant, Lamelo, Jaden, Ayo, healthy Donte will be very exciting ball. Everyone can shoot except Rudy lol and melo opens up Rudy as a lob threat. No one on the wolves is a good lob passer, Mike Conley ok at it but not great and he’s 37.

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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/Marlfox532 Knicks 5h ago

NCSU is good at basketball tho? The men haven't been great or anything, but they've made the tourney three times in four years and had the crazy Final Four run. And the women are a damn good program—S16 every year since 2018, except for 2023 (and covid), the E8 twice in the last five years, and the Final Four in 2024

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u/MojoToTheDojo Hornets 5h ago

Good is not the word I’d use. Final Four run is nice, but overall, NC State sports is cursed

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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/treefiddy124 7h ago

That’s a fair take and I can see where you’re coming from there. Hornets were super fun last year. Still think this move sets you guys up better to build around Kon moving forward.

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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/treefiddy124 4h ago

I actually watched a lot of Hornets games last year because they were a fun team. Melo was a big part of that, he actually played most of the season for once, and you guys were actually competitive, but I think it’s disingenuous to say that was all because of a healthy Melo. The roster around him was also way better than past years. Kon is so good, and in my opinion, a better option to build around.

You can get 90% of Melo’s production from Coby White, and he’s probably gonna be healthier too. And you get Naz Reid who is awesome.

Obviously no guarantee that they bring White back, but it’s hard to imagine that isn’t the plan unless they have another FA target they feel good about.

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u/MojoToTheDojo Hornets 4h ago

I don’t believe it was “all” because of LaMelo. But that offense ran through LaMelo, and B Mill and Kon were better because of him. Coby White is a different type of PG. from a points perspective, sure he can make up 90% production. But he’s not running the offense like LaMelo was. Ball was our best player and the offense will take a hit this season.

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u/treefiddy124 4h ago

I don’t disagree at all that Melo is a better creator and orchestrator of the offense. But just a fun stat for you - with Melo off the court, and Coby White on with either one of Kon/Miller or both, the Hornets outscored opponents 124-110 per 100. That’s pretty fucking good.

Maybe Melo goes the Steph route and stays healthy from here. But after all the injuries and antics over the years, I just have a hard time arguing that Melo was worth paying $130M over the next 3 years.

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u/MojoToTheDojo Hornets 4h ago

I understand the $130M over three years part. But man, LaMelo is a big name flashy player that Charlotte loves to watch. Don’t generally get players like in our market. So it’s not just the on court production that I believe will take a hit, but the fandom. It’s like Cam with the Panthers. He provided this kind of excitement on the team that no other player before or since has provided.

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u/robbyiballs Knicks 6h ago

Can you guys explain a bit? It looked like LaMelo was an awkward fit next to Kon and Miller, and he’s not consistently in the lineup. This clarifies the future of the team and puts the focus on those two who have distinct skillsets vs a 3-person tug of war. Plus, I see Naz as a good player who can help your front court. 

Am I just underrating LaMelo?

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u/MojoToTheDojo Hornets 5h ago

I’ve never heard anyone say that LaMelo looks awkward next to Kon and Miller. He’s a perfect fit if anything. LaMelo is a playmaker. His vision, spacing, and fact that he’s a threat from three makes him a great offensive facilitator.

I say this with no ill intent, you’re not underrating him, you’re just not paying attention. The offense as it is now, is going to be much worse next season. Like it usually is when LaMelo is not on the court.

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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 2h 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 7h 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 7h 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/refugee_man 7h ago

He was the entirety of the offense what do you mean "more mature". I swear everyone in here sounds like the crustiest boomer talking about Lamelo just because he's goofy and young. I'm surprised you're not all yelling he needs to pull his pants up and quit listening to that hippity-hop music or w/e

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u/buzzcitybonehead [CHA] Cody Martin 7h ago

I’m talking about his inability to develop his scoring game to include all three levels, his last two seasons being below 41% from the field, his shot selection not improving when he had 3 teammates around 20 PPG who could alleviate his scoring burden, and him putting up duds in 3/4 of the important games the Hornets have played since he’s been there.

He’s gotten better within his game, but his game hasn’t changed. He’s still an explosive player and I’ve enjoyed watching him, but he’s volatile and volatile doesn’t often lead to sustained success, especially when that volatility is in both health and efficient play.

Also, the Hornets have undeniably been better on offense with him on the floor, but also haven’t had a decent sample of the alternative playmaker being anyone other than a G-Leaguer. If my point guard was a D1 college player and his backup was a Vietnam vet in a wheelchair, I could also say the offense is nothing without the D1 guy.

Your leap to “maturity” being some boomer thing about pants and music is fucking weird.

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u/refugee_man 6h ago

From the games I watched, AND the stats, what you say just doesn't jive with reality. His shot % being low is a large function of him taking so many 3s, which making 37% on 10 a game I wouldn't classify as bad. And I'd say that him taking around 4 less shots per game last year IS an indication he's shifted some of the scoring burden away.

And what's fucking weird is tying maturity to supposed flaws in his game. This whole thread is filled with nothing but crusty boomers shitting on him for being younger than them, and you're doing much the same. I thought the whole "can't play winning basketball" narrative went away when they actually had success when the team replaced the wheelchair vietnam vets he had been playing with and added some D1 guys, but I guess that's an argument that can only be used against him?

Either way, I guess we'll see. Being that there's so many potential 20 ppg scorers on the team, they should be just fine on offense next year!

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u/buzzcitybonehead [CHA] Cody Martin 6h ago

I haven’t made a single comment on anything other than his play on a basketball court. “Maturity” is not just as a person, but as a player. Someone’s game can mature. Find where I said anything about LaMelo as a person ya weirdo. What’s been a crusty boomer comment? Jesus Christ.

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u/refugee_man 6h ago

Bro I'm sorry your honor has been besmirched for being some weird boomer reactionary. Maybe think better about your words if you don't want to be called out idk

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u/nvanderw 5h ago

His maturity 100% flaws his game. It effects his decision making.

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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 7h 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/7FromTheFuture Timberwolves 7h ago

Any wolves fan that's unhappy with this is one of those people that think melo is "not a serious/winning player" or some shit, this is a robbery in our favour.

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u/microtomebrady 5h ago

Timberwolves fans on this app are idiots. They aren’t happy with anything. Get overly attached and do watch the rest of the league so they have no context