NBA rumors: How LaMelo Ball felt about Hornets before bombshell Timberwolves trade

After six years with the Charlotte Hornets, LaMelo Ball has been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. That wasn’t necessarily in the point guard’s plans when the offseason begun.

Ball was looking towards building on what Charlotte had built up until that point, via Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of the Stein Line. Now, his focus has shifted towards helping the Timberwolves reach new heights.

“Sources say Ball has been looking forward to this upcoming season with the team that drafted him No. 3 overall in 2020 to try to build off of Charlotte’s momentum from 2025-26,” Fischer wrote. “The Hornets went a surprising 44-38 this season, only to fall at the final Play-In Tournament hurdle in Orlando and miss the playoffs for a league-high 10th consecutive season.”

Playing in Charlotte since 2020, Ball never technically saw the Hornets make the playoffs. However, the franchise at least made the play-in tournament in 2026. Their now former point guard was expecting to try and get the Hornets even further. But the course of his NBA career has now changed.

The Timberwolves have made the playoffs each of the last five seasons. However, they are still seeking the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. With Ball now on the roster, Minnesota believes they’re closer to that goal.

The franchise is still going to have some moving pieces on their roster. After trading away Naz Reid and Julius Randle, they need help at the four specifically. But Ball has been the Timberwolves’ white whale for a while now. Minnesota now has a piece they deemed crucial for continued success.

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