The NBA has a way of turning fast, and LaMelo Ball is the latest reminder.
Not long ago, Ball was the face of the Charlotte Hornets. He arrived as the No. 3 pick in 2020, won Rookie of the Year right away and had already climbed to All-Star status by 2022.
His game made him impossible to ignore: a big, flashy guard who lived above the rim and kept the highlights coming. That style helped make him a fan favorite in Charlotte and one of the league’s most recognizable players.
But the shine didn’t erase the bigger problem. Ball never managed to push the Hornets into the playoffs, and injuries kept cutting into his availability. In the end, Charlotte decided to make a hard pivot and trade him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal that brought back Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-rounders.
The move split people down the middle. Some saw Minnesota as the clear winner.
Others believed Charlotte had done what it needed to do. Either way, the deal instantly set up one of the more anticipated return games of the summer, because Ball’s old crowd in Charlotte is eager to see him back in town.
Reid has his own following, too, after building a loyal fan base during his time in Minnesota.
When Ball does come back to Charlotte, Hornets fans will get their first real look at how his game fits with a new group around him. He used to pile up lobs for explosive finishers like Miles Bridges, and now he’ll be working with Anthony Edwards. That backcourt pairing has the chance to be one of the league’s most entertaining, especially in transition and on alley-oops.
The big question hanging over all of it is simple: can Ball help the Timberwolves get over the hump?
In Other News...
Hornets Are Heading Toward Some Painful Roster Decisions
The Hornets are entering a stretch where almost every major decision carries a long tail, and that is what makes the next year of roster management so tricky. Brandon Miller, Moussa Diabat, Grant Williams, Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen are all tied to the 2026-27 picture in one way or another, with the front office having to balance extensions, options and the possibility that some names simply do not fit the timeline by the time the dust settles.
Some of those calls may get made early, while others will come down to performance and how the roster looks as the team moves closer to the decision points. A few contracts appear likely to be handled through options, but the broader picture suggests Charlotte will soon have to decide which veterans are worth keeping around, which players could become trade candidates and which situations might force the club into tougher choices than it would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Could Be Headed For An Even More Painful Reset
Charlottes best stretch by advanced metrics and winning percentage since 2015-16 still wasnt enough to stop the front office from making major changes, and the roster has already been pared back with the departures of LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, and Miles Bridges. It was the kind of partial teardown that sends a clear message: even a season that looked like a step forward in the numbers did not convince the organization to stand pat.
Now the Hornets are heading into next season with expectations for only a slight drop-off, but the real worry is what happens if the slide is bigger than that. If the team underperforms badly, the current reset could easily turn into something more severe, with even more significant changes following close behind. [Read more 🡒]