The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets Thursday morning in a blockbuster deal that brings LaMelo Ball to Minnesota, and in doing so, knocked the Los Angeles Lakers' frontcourt plans sideways before the market even opened.
The trade: Charlotte sends LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota. Minnesota 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.
It is a massive haul of future capital for a Hornets organization that is taking the first significant step of its rebuild, trading their best player and franchise centerpiece for a proven contributor and a war chest of assets.
For the Lakers, the fallout is immediate and unfavorable. Reid, the stretch big who won Sixth Man of the Year in 2023-24 and averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds last season on 36.2 percent three-point shooting, was always going to be a stretch target for Los Angeles given LeBron James and Anthony Davis's frontcourt dynamic.
With Reid now in Charlotte and Rudy Gobert expected to be claimed by another team in the wake of the Minnesota shake-up, the Lakers' two most realistic frontcourt upgrade paths are effectively gone.
For Minnesota, Ball joins Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves' core, an electrifying ball-handler and playmaker at his best, coming off a season where he averaged 23.4 points, 6.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds when healthy.
The Wolves went all-in and paid dearly in future capital to do it.