The Minnesota Timberwolves made their offseason splash by bringing in LaMelo Ball, and the move instantly changes the way their backcourt looks next to Anthony Edwards. Minnesota also added wing Josh Green in the deal, while Naz Reid and a bundle of future draft assets headed to Charlotte.
For the Timberwolves, the logic is easy to see. They needed another star, and Ball gives them one of the league’s most electric playmakers to pair with Edwards. That combination should make Minnesota one of the most compelling teams to watch and gives it more offensive punch for a serious Western Conference push.
But the bigger story may be why Charlotte was willing to move on.
According to NBA insider Tim MacMahon, the Hornets’ decision came from a belief that Ball was no longer the kind of player they could build a championship team around.
"They assessed what they had last year ... and they decided, 'Hey, we don't believe in this team as a team that can do any kind of real damage.' And they said, actions over words.
We don't believe in LaMelo Ball as a franchise centerpiece. They got his value up to where they could get a first-round pick and return, and they pulled the trigger," MacMahon said on a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast.
"They didn't do that thinking it was going to make them better this season. They did that thinking it would allow them to build a team that they did believe could do some real damage in the playoffs.
But that's not this year, it's probably not next year. Now, you talk about a team that's positioned to be aggressive; they're loaded with picks."
Ball’s talent has never been the issue. He remains one of the NBA’s most dynamic and entertaining creators, which is exactly why Minnesota was willing to make the bet.
What Charlotte was weighing, though, was the larger picture after six seasons with Ball and no playoff appearances. The Hornets finished above .500 only twice during his run, and while that wasn’t all on him, the organization appears to have decided it was time to choose a different path.
That path now includes a young core that could give Charlotte something real to work with. Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Coby White and Moussa Diabaté are all part of the mix, and MacMahon pointed to Knueppel and Miller as players with enough talent to potentially form the foundation of a winning team.
Reid gives the Hornets a frontcourt piece with experience. He can stretch the floor, score inside and handle useful minutes at center, which makes him a practical addition for a roster still taking shape.
The draft haul is the real long-term prize. Charlotte has a chance to control multiple first-round picks in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 drafts, plus its own 2030 first-rounder and additional assets. Some of those selections are conditional or include swap rights, but the overall package leaves the Hornets with plenty of flexibility as they try to build the next version of the team.
In Other News...
Hornets Opening Night Backcourt Plan Is Still Very Unclear
Charles Lee said the Hornets are getting closer to seeing some movement in the backcourt, with guards Kon Knueppel and Coby White both making progress in their recoveries. Each has begun adding contact work in practice, a meaningful step after Knueppel went down with a left hamstring injury during offseason activity and White suffered a left calf strain in training camp.
Even so, Charlotte still does not have a clear answer on either player for the regular-season opener. Both guards sat out the preseason, and with no set timeline in place yet, the Hornets are left sorting through the possibility of opening the year without two pieces they had hoped to have available. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets End Preseason With The Same Problem Fans Feared
The Hornets wrapped up preseason with a 116-98 loss to the Grizzlies, ending exhibition play at 1-3 and leaving the same uneasy feeling that has followed them through much of the month. Charlotte had stretches where the young roster showed flashes, but the overall picture was still messy, with pace issues and lineup combinations that never quite settled into a rhythm.
Even in a game that offered chances for reserves to make noise, the turnover problem kept dragging the night down and limited any chance of building momentum. There were positives off the bench from rookies Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr., which gives Charlotte something to note as it turns from preseason into the real thing, but the broader question remains how quickly this group can clean up the sloppiness before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Just Made Their Brandon Miller Priorities Impossible To Ignore
After moving on from LaMelo Ball over the summer, the Hornets have made their direction unmistakable. Brandon Miller and Kon Kuneppel are now the centerpieces, and everything around them points to a franchise that is thinking less about the next few months than the next few years. ESPNs read on the situation matches the front offices actions, with Charlotte clearly leaning into a patient rebuild instead of chasing immediate results.
Brandon Millers place in that plan is only getting bigger, and a contract extension ahead of the upcoming season is expected to be part of the conversation. The return from the Ball trade gave Charlotte a sizable stash of future draft capital, including long-range first-round assets from multiple teams, giving the Hornets even more flexibility to keep building slowly. For a team that has spent too long searching for a clear identity, the priorities are now impossible to miss. [Read more 🡒]