Hornets in Active Trade Talks for LaMelo Ball; Wolves and Raptors Leading Suitors
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The Charlotte Hornets are weighing offers for point guard LaMelo Ball and have held substantive discussions with multiple teams, league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday night.
According to Charania, several clubs are “aggressively” pursuing the 22-year-old All-Star, and a deal could materialize this week if Charlotte’s asking price is met.
Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors have emerged as the most persistent bidders, reports Marc Stein. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line corroborated that Ball has heard the chatter but remains focused on the upcoming season in Charlotte.
Stein and Fischer add that the Milwaukee Bucks expressed interest before acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo and have not indicated whether that pursuit will continue.
Sources describe Minnesota’s interest as “undeniably serious,” though the Wolves prefer to keep forward Jaden McDaniels out of any package and are reluctant to trade injured guard Donte DiVincenzo, who is recovering from an Achilles tear. CBA expert Yossi Gozlan notes that expanding the three-team deal sending Julius Randle to Brooklyn could satisfy salary-matching rules, with DiVincenzo included for cap purposes and additional young players and draft picks heading to Charlotte.
The Raptors first contacted Charlotte about Ball last summer and recently revived talks, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
After battling injuries and inconsistency through his first four NBA seasons, Ball delivered one of his most efficient campaigns in 2025-26, averaging 20.1 points while guiding Charlotte to the play-in tournament. His blend of playmaking and offensive creativity has made him a priority target for clubs seeking a lead guard—Minnesota wants to ease the offensive burden on Anthony Edwards, while Toronto is exploring upgrades over Immanuel Quickley.
Ball is under contract for three more seasons, scheduled to earn $40.8 million in 2026-27, $43.6 million in 2027-28, and $46.4 million in 2028-29, giving any acquiring team long-term security.
Source: HoopsRumors
