The Minnesota Timberwolves did not spend the offseason nibbling around the edges. They swung a sledgehammer.
The Timberwolves are acquiring LaMelo Ball and Josh Green from the Charlotte Hornets in a blockbuster deal that sends Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030, and three second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033 to Charlotte.
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. pic.twitter.com/lkhXBWHCrA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026
For Minnesota, the logic is simple and terrifying: put LaMelo Ball next to Anthony Edwards and let the league deal with the chaos. Edwards is one of the NBA’s most violent downhill scorers, a superstar built on force, confidence and pressure. LaMelo is the opposite kind of problem: tall, slippery, creative, reckless in the fun way, and one of the most imaginative passers in basketball. Together, they give the Wolves a backcourt that could turn regular possessions into highlight roulette.
It is easy to see the appeal. Edwards has spent much of his rise carrying enormous creation responsibilities. Ball can take some of that burden away. He can push tempo, hit advance passes, create angles out of nothing and force defenses to guard the entire floor earlier in the shot clock. For a team that has often needed more offensive juice, this is a massive talent injection.
Josh Green matters too. He is not the headline, but he gives Minnesota another athletic wing who can defend, run and fit around stars without demanding the ball. In a trade this big, the second player can easily become a footnote. Green should not be ignored.
But the cost is real.
Naz Reid had become more than a fan favorite in Minnesota. He was expected to step into a starting role at power forward, and moving him changes the entire shape of the frontcourt. Reid’s shooting, strength and versatility gave the Wolves a clean internal path after the Julius Randle trade. Now that path is gone, replaced by a much bigger bet on perimeter star power.
Charlotte, meanwhile, finally turns LaMelo’s value into a reset package. The Hornets get a legitimate starting-caliber big in Reid, a distant unprotected first, three swaps and three seconds. That kind of draft control matters, especially for a franchise trying to build around its next core after drafting Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson. If LaMelo’s time in Charlotte had run its course, this is the kind of deal that at least gives the Hornets optionality, assets and a player who can help immediately.
The risk for Minnesota is obvious. LaMelo has star talent, but availability and consistency have always been part of the conversation. When he plays, he bends games. When he does not, the whole plan looks different. Giving up Reid and that much future draft flexibility means the Wolves are betting heavily that Ball can stay on the floor and become the offensive partner Edwards needs.
But that is what star trades are. They are not designed to be comfortable. They are designed to change ceilings.
Minnesota had a good team. This trade is about trying to become a scarier one. The Wolves just turned Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball into one of the league’s most fascinating duos. Now comes the hard part. They have to make the chaos win.
