After making what was arguably the most surprising move of the off-season, the Charlotte Hornets have finally revealed why they traded star LaMelo Ball. Surprisingly enough, a video showing the process behind trading Ball was just released.
The Hornets have released a behind-the-scenes look at the process of trading LaMelo Ball for Naz Reid.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 21, 2026
“If we trade LaMelo, we're probably trading Miles.” 😳
(via @HornetsReddit) pic.twitter.com/ogcgPrGp2v
It provides a fascinating look at their rationale behind trading their former 25-year-old All-Star. In the aftermath of the trade, it has aged better for them, and it's clear that the Hornets didn't value him as much as the Minnesota Timberwolves did.
As a result, they were more than willing to move on from him for the right price. Whether Naz Reid, a first, three pick swaps, and three second-round picks were the right price is up for debate, but the Hornets seem excited about their future.
The Charlotte Hornets reveal the real reason why they traded LaMelo Ball
I still believe they sold far too low on Ball. After all, at the very least, they could have held on to him for half a season and see if he could have turned the Hornets into a contender.
They were red hot at one point last season and figured to be even better this year. Now, it's anyone's guess how they will play next year. Especially with the East being far deeper than before.
In fact, teams such as the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors may be far better than before. That doesn't bode well for the Hornets, who now appear stuck between being an up-and-coming team and being in rebuild mode.
The Hornets had a confusing offseason headlined by the Ball trade
The Hornets are well positioned to make a big trade, but that doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon. Instead, they are hoping to both compete for the playoffs while developing young prospects such as Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller.
It's a tricky balance, but Charlotte appeared desperate to get off of Ball. They clearly didn't believe that he could lead them to a championship. If that is indeed the case, then they were right to get off of him.
They may have sold too low on him, but trading him sooner rather than later may ultimately be for the best. Perhaps Ball isn't as good as many think he is, and he might be exposed playing on the Timberwolves, especially in the playoffs.
Maybe the trade will age well, and the Hornets could make another trade using the assets from the Ball deal. At least they are trying to be transparent about why they traded Ball.
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