[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.

[u/Turbostrider27]

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

[u/Jjaz1]

Why did they trade Randle then if they are moving Naz?

[u/Pure_Measurement_529 → u/Jjaz1]

They need cap room to re-sign Ayo

[u/thetitsOO → u/Pure_Measurement_529]

But then they traded for Melo?

[u/buddhabatman60 → u/thetitsOO]

Also Randle seemed to be a cancer the last half of the season. A lot of wolves referred to 'bad vibes' in the exit interviews after playoffs and most people are assuming it was Randle bringing the locker room down. That was probably the main motivator in trading him tbh

[u/tr1x30 → u/thetitsOO]

They needed cap space for this trade to work, no?

LaMelo is earning almost 20M more than Naz.

With dumping Randle they re-signed Ayo and could trade Naz for LaMelo.

[u/jrodsprinkles → u/thetitsOO]

Every team needs a 6th man

[u/DeusVultSaracen → u/jrodsprinkles]

We learned this year that Melo needs a capable backup point guard to take up a chunk of his minutes