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WOW. The trade rumors that floated around at the end of the 2026 NBA Draft were real: LaMelo Ball was traded by the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday morning in a deal to... the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have been reportedly looking for a point guard to run the offense to help out Anthony Edwards.
It's a doozy of a deal that involves a ton of draft picks and beloved forward in Naz Reid. As always, we're going to hand out grades for each team and break down the deal.
Who won? Who lost? Let's dive in and hand out grades, along with the details of this one that will have NBA fans buzzing about on Thursday:
Hornets get: F Naz Reid, 2033 first-round pick (unprotected), three first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030, three second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033
Timberwolves get: PG LaMelo Green, SG Josh Green
This felt like the endgame from the moment we heard Melo might be available. The Timberwolves need a point guard to take pressure off Ant, and they want to make Edwards happy. Will this move do it, though? I'm honestly not sure.
We saw Ball be more mature last season and really come into his own. Will he carry that with him to a contender that clearly needs a play-maker? That's what Minnesota is betting on. And if the T-Wolves want to continue to compete in the West, this is what they have to do.
Overall, it's the right move, but it may not be worth the draft haul and giving away the beloved Naz Reid. We'll see. GRADE: B
This is a curious move given that Coby White is unsigned. But let's presume that White re-signs and that the just-drafted Christian Anderson develops into a good guard. That'll work. And now, Brandon Miller gets the ball in his hands more, which is a really good thing.
As for bringing in Reid? I love this part of it. They have interior defense and rebounding in Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Reid brings the offense.
The franchise never really seemed happy about Ball, so this isn't a surprise despite what we saw last season. But we'll see if it's a mistake if Ball continues to take steps forward in Minnesota. GRADE: A-
This article originally appeared on For The Win: LaMelo Ball trade grades for Hornets and Timberwolves deal
Continue reading...
It's a doozy of a deal that involves a ton of draft picks and beloved forward in Naz Reid. As always, we're going to hand out grades for each team and break down the deal.
Who won? Who lost? Let's dive in and hand out grades, along with the details of this one that will have NBA fans buzzing about on Thursday:
Hornets and Timberwolves trade details
Hornets get: F Naz Reid, 2033 first-round pick (unprotected), three first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030, three second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033
Timberwolves get: PG LaMelo Green, SG Josh Green
Timberwolves trade grade
This felt like the endgame from the moment we heard Melo might be available. The Timberwolves need a point guard to take pressure off Ant, and they want to make Edwards happy. Will this move do it, though? I'm honestly not sure.
We saw Ball be more mature last season and really come into his own. Will he carry that with him to a contender that clearly needs a play-maker? That's what Minnesota is betting on. And if the T-Wolves want to continue to compete in the West, this is what they have to do.
Overall, it's the right move, but it may not be worth the draft haul and giving away the beloved Naz Reid. We'll see. GRADE: B
Hornets trade grades
This is a curious move given that Coby White is unsigned. But let's presume that White re-signs and that the just-drafted Christian Anderson develops into a good guard. That'll work. And now, Brandon Miller gets the ball in his hands more, which is a really good thing.
As for bringing in Reid? I love this part of it. They have interior defense and rebounding in Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Reid brings the offense.
The franchise never really seemed happy about Ball, so this isn't a surprise despite what we saw last season. But we'll see if it's a mistake if Ball continues to take steps forward in Minnesota. GRADE: A-
This article originally appeared on For The Win: LaMelo Ball trade grades for Hornets and Timberwolves deal
Continue reading...
