Just as the dust was settling from the 2026 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves went out on Thursday morning and made a shocking trade that saw the Wolves send out Naz Reid, their 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks in exchange for LaMelo Ball and Josh Green.

BREAKING: The Charlotte Hornets are trading star guard LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030) and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033), sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/lkhXBWHCrA

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

The upside is easy to see with the trade. Ball is a 24-year-old former All-Star who has the skill set, size, and talent to play at an All-NBA caliber level. The Wolves also desperately needed a point guard with Donte DiVicenzo out most or all of next season and Mike Conley hitting free agency.

Still, the move is a surprising one. After moving on from Julius Randle earlier in the week, the Timberwolves were set to move Reid, who is beloved by fans in Minnesota, into the starting lineup. Instead, they decided to move Reid in exchange for a running-mate for Anthony Edwards in the Wolves’ backcourt.

Reid is a developmental success story and cult hero in Minnesota. After going undrafted in 2019, the Wolves turned Reid into a Sixth Man of the Year and one of the most important pieces in their recent run of success. Now, those two words, Naz Reid, are heading to Charlotte, where Hornets fans are sure to embrace him just like the people of Minnesota did.

Target Center was electric tonight pic.twitter.com/24X2D703Pd

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) March 23, 2024

With the Timberwolves trading away both of their power forwards, Reid and Randle, they will now be on the search for a starting power forward to pair with Rudy Gobert in the front court. The Wolves look to trade either of their expiring contracts, the newly acquired Josh Green, or the injured DiVicenzo, to add a player that better fits their needs.

Minnesota does have the flexibility to round out the rest of the roster. With three open roster spots that will need to be filled, the Timberwolves have space below the second apron, which they are now hard-capped at, meaning they are not allowed to go above that salary mark.

Here's where the Wolves salary cap sits after the LaMelo Ball trade

If Isaiah Evans gets the $1.3 rookie minimum, the Wolves are $9.6 million under the 2nd apron with 3 roster spots to fill

If they sign 3 vet minimums, they would have $2.2 million left. Wolves could also try to… pic.twitter.com/g9SyziiQk6

— Ryan Eichten (@REichten) June 25, 2026

It began as a blockbuster rumor at the close of the 2026 NBA Draft, and quickly became reality overnight. The Charlotte Hornets have traded superstar point guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package that involves forward Naz Reid and a bevy of draft capital.

First reported by Shams Charania on Thursday morning, here are the full trade details:

Minnesota Timberwolves get:

• PG Lamelo Ball
• SF Josh Green

Charlotte Hornets get:

• PF Naz Reid
• Unprotected first round pick (2033)
• Three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030)
• Three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033)

It’s a staggering deal that gives Minnesota one of the most exciting and dynamic backcourts in the NBA with Anthony Edwards and Ball, while the Hornets now turn the page on the Melo era to a new chapter where Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the focal points of the franchise. Let’s break down the deal from both sides.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves opened up a large trade exception by trading Julius Randle, hoping to get in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, only to miss out. By landing a legitimate star in LaMelo Ball they achieve two goals: Firstly, make use of that trade exception to where they don’t lose Randle for nothing, and more-importantly, show Anthony Edwards they are serious about improving the roster and surrounding him with talent, ensuring he doesn’t ask for a trade in a year or two.

Losing fan-favorite Naz Reid hurts, but this was brilliant work by Minnesota to keep their core starters together while getting a mammoth upgrade at point guard. Ensuring they kept Jalen McDaniels is mind-boggling and incredible work by the front office. Not only that, but by only giving up one future 1st round pick, the team is betting on themselves to finish deep in the playoffs for the next four years — which can be easily achieved.

The big question about this deal is how Minnesota will balance having two ball-dominant guards on the roster at the same time. The Wolves’ front court is also incredibly thin now behind Rudy Gobert. The Wolves need to hope Ball can stay healthy and maintain the level he showed in the second half of last season. They need to hope Edwards and Ball can mesh together. It’s a huge risk, but there’s no doubt the Wolves raised their ceiling if everything goes according to plan.

Grade: B+

Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball’s individual brilliance is unquestioned, but there was definitely some friction under the surface between his loose, vibes-based style of play and head coach Charles Lee’s more precise, exacting offense. The rub is that while Melo was incredible with the Hornets during the 2025-26 season, his individual success often came at the expense of utilizing Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel to their full potential.

This trade paves the way for the Hornets to re-sign Coby White (which was a priority for them this off-season), while opening a path for rookie Christian Anderson Jr. to get significant minutes at point. There is no doubt Charlotte will miss out of Ball’s offense, but the hope will be that adding defensively at forward and getting Miller/Knueppel more looks will ameliorate that.

Regardless of how much the Hornets may have been ready to part ways with LaMelo Ball, they absolutely did not get back good trade value. The team has essentially traded its franchise player for a nice complementary player and a handful of magic beans. It’s entirely possible none of those pick swaps will be realized, which results in one heck of a gamble that the Wolves will be bad by 2033 to realize that unprotected first.

The haul could look better for the Hornets if things explode in a bad way for Minnesota. If this doesn’t work out, it’s possible Edwards is pushing for a new home before those pick swaps are realized, suddenly making them more valuable. Charlotte was so good with Ball leading the charge in the second half of the season that this feels like a baffling decision and underwhelming return.

Grade: C

The Knicks winning the championship is so ridiculous that Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson got Leon Rose to sit with them at the stage of their Roommates Show.

If that’s not crazy enough for you to believe, you tell me what is.

Here’s the latest from Rose and elsewhere.

Leon Rose

On firing Tom Thibodeau and hiring Mike Brown:

“It was tough. Thibs is a great coach. Did so much for the organization. We were right on the doorstep. Just felt that, just needed a change in voice, a change in philosophy. It was a tough move. Mike is a guy that really fit what we were looking for. He’s somebody that I’ve known for a long time. I represented LeBron [James] when he coached him in Cleveland. Knew him and kind of followed him through his career. Didn’t know him that well, but he always was a guy that was a good guy, that you could talk to, that you really felt good about. That was just your gut. Then you go through the process, and you’re looking for certain things. We had built out a criteria of certain things that were very important, we do research, and we brought in, I think it was five candidates, and really graded them in the different areas and things like that and made the decision that we made.”

On what stood out about Mike Brown:

“First of all, just his openness and his willingness to share ideas. And share ideas with the front office, his staff and the inclusion of everyone. I think you guys probably saw that. He really was open to things, open to people’s suggestions, open to ideas. I believe that’s what led to some of the changes that were made throughout the season. We started out a certain way, he may have had an idea about how something was gonna work and how he wanted it to work, but he kind of evolved throughout the season, as did our team. I think that all went into the fact that we went into another gear in the playoffs.”

On the criticism of the Mikal Bridges trade:

“Believe me, it bothered the heck out of me, because it had nothing to do with Mikal. It was the price I was willing to pay or we were willing to pay in order to get that deal done because of how important we thought it was to get that piece to solidify this group.”

On the criticism after signing Jalen Brunson:

“I got killed about Jalen, and now everyone thinks I’m a genius. It’s about what we did in order to get you. Clearing space, at the time people thinking that it was so much money that we were paying you. … This was the first major move and I had all the conviction in the world. I’ve known him since he was born, I know what he’s all about, I know what a winner he is, I know that I was willing to ride with him.”

On the lessons learned from the ECF loss to Indiana in 2025:

“I think going through what we went through with Indiana, the full-court pressure wearing us down, injuries, even going back two years, but last year the way we saw that, and that was something we wanted to fortify and solidify.”

On the acquisition of Jose Alvarado being his savviest move:

“What went into getting Jose was [Guerschon] Yabusele had to give up his second year in order for us to make a deal with Chicago so we could get a player that had an expiring contract and then send that on to New Orleans in order to get him. So there were a lot of things that went into doing that. And that was huge, because we did need another ball handler, we needed another person that could put it on the floor and take some of the pressure off.”

On keeping the Knicks’ front office quiet:

“To me, there’s no benefit in things being out there. I’ve always just operated like that. Until you’ve got something you don’t have anything. You don’t want to affect the guys on the team either. There’s talk all the time, there’s behind the scenes talk about players and who you like, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you get something there.”

The truth has been revealed. Leon is not Jalen’s godfather. But, he did meet Jalen before Rick did @BetMGMpic.twitter.com/rnj3FSr1H5

— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) June 24, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On missing Lionel Messi’s World Cup hat trick:

“I was pissed.”

On the first-round series against Atlanta:

“I don’t think it was a situation where we were nervous. I think it was just a wake-up call like, ‘This team is good. We can’t overlook them. We know that we need to play better. How can we do that?’ And then as a group, we realized that our attention to detail wasn’t where it needed to be. So did we flip a switch or did we just kind of refocus? I don’t really know, but whatever we did, it worked.”

On winning the championship in New York:

“I haven’t internalized it yet. But I know that down the line, I’ll feel the effects of it.”

On his growing fame:

“I don’t like to think of myself as a certain somebody.”

On no longer blending in:

“I feel like I used to be able to be kind of low-key and blend in. I don’t know if it’ll happen around here anymore, at least for now. But it’s a good problem to have.”

On deserving to celebrate with teammates at the Canyon of Heroes:

“Everyone worked so hard for that moment, and being able to enjoy that with everyone right after the fact, just us, was awesome.”

On returning to NYC with the trophy:

“It was awesome. It wasn’t overwhelming at all, which is why I love where I live. We did everything we could to bring something back here. The character and then everything that this team embodies, it means a lot to me. It means a lot to the city, and obviously having a championship puts the cherry on top.”

On finally understanding the Knicks’ importance to New York:

“Everyone gravitates to the Knicks, and I’ve seen that since I got here. Now I see it.”

On Becky Hammon’s comments:

“I don’t want to say it drove me. She definitely wasn’t the only person that said anything, so I’m not even going to single her out by giving her an answer. I said I didn’t care about it then. I’m not going to answer it now. I feel like I don’t really have to at this point anymore. I did what I was supposed to do.”

On the potential White House visit:

“We haven’t discussed it. But as a team, we’ll discuss it and we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Leon just finally gave us the map 🗺️

1) Every personnel decision was viewed through the context and lens of “can this person do this in NYC”

2) I believe i heard 5 “fit”s in this 2 minute clip. Everything was about chemistry and fit.

3) Did the “trial and error” thing and… pic.twitter.com/6ShapXHSfR

— Ari From Manhattan 💧💧 (@Arifromanhattan) June 24, 2026

Rick Brunson

On Jalen’s place among Knicks legends:

“You have to understand we strive for perfection. I’ve always pushed him. I’m going to continue to push him. People get caught up in the things he’s done in a short period of time, which is tremendous. I mean, look, I’m a proud father, but you have to do this for a long time to be great. I tell him that all the time. You can’t take away from the great ones — the Walt Fraziers, the Willis Reeds, the Patrick Ewings. They did it for a long period of time. So we still have a long way to go, but we’ll get there.”

On chasing another championship:

“You always think about next season. That’s how his mind works. We want to get back to where we were this season and hopefully have a chance to compete for another championship. You want more.”

On prime Derrick Rose being better than Jalen Brunson:

“I’mma have to sub in and help Jalen. That’s the baddest guy I’ve ever played with, coached. Derrick Rose is the best. My son and Derrick have an unbelievable relationship, but prime Derrick? Ain’t no way. No one was better than prime Derrick. Nobody. I mean, that’s me. Maybe I’m biased, but nobody. How soon do we forget? Because I’ve sat there when Derrick carried the Bulls to Miami. Obviously, we didn’t beat that. We didn’t get to the championship… [but] prime Derrick Rose? No, he’s the best that I’d ever seen as a point guard in this era.”

On Patrick Ewing being the greatest Knick:

“I love my son. Patrick Ewing is the best Knick that I’ve ever witnessed. Patrick Ewing, obviously, [that] I witnessed, is the greatest right now. All-time leading rebounder, points, he has all the stats. But just the type of person Pat was, the type of teammate he was, the work ethic was similar. Pat was the hardest working guy we had and he was the best player. Pat did it for 15 years, Jalen did it for four. I don’t rank these players by championships, although it’s great. Pat’s always been a champion in my book. As of today, Big Fella is my favorite.”

Jack Kayil says he does not plan to return to Germany for another year after being drafted by the Knicks pic.twitter.com/micv9vL2Ee

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 25, 2026

Jack Kayil

On staying with the Knicks instead of returning to Germany:

“My plan is to stay here and get into the organization and keep growing with them.”

On being a fit with the Knicks:

“I think also one of my strengths is that I love winning and I give everything for that. To come to this organization shows that they also want winners. I think it’s a good fit.”

On his overseas experience helping him in the NBA:

“I think I already saw, for a young guy, a lot of places and different things, different plays and different systems and I think it can help me in the future.”

Barack Obama still A BUCKET 🎯

First shot at the Presidential Center? Cash. ✅ pic.twitter.com/ACc5MQ3TeY

— ALL THE SMOKE (@allthesmokeprod) June 24, 2026

Barack Obama

On OG Anunoby’s historic playoff run:

“I’m trying to think of a better series from somebody who’s never been an All-Star, and it’s hard to think of one, right? Where, through the whole playoffs, he was just a rock.”

On Jalen Brunson:

“It’s the toughness and endurance and mental fortitude of that guy. You just felt like, ‘I’m going to keep coming and I’m not going to doubt myself and not going to let my team doubt myself.’ And for a second-round draft pick, who was a champion, who was a winner, you didn’t see it coming. A cliche, but that dude has the heart of a champion. You can see, just watching him with his dad [Rick Brunson] at the end of the game and kind of what that meant, all the work they must’ve put in. All those years, all that commitment — real proud of him. And I know he’ll never have to pay for a meal again in New York. … He’s the king of New York right now.”

On Victor Wembanyama:

“I think Victor Wembanyama will end up being as good as we are projected. I watched him at the All-Star game. I was sitting there, first time I’d seen him live, and I don’t remember somebody that that big moving like that. He’s got to figure out what his go-to move is. He’s got to put on some weight, he’s got to work on his conditioning. Because he kept, you could tell he got tired, partly because it just looks to me like playing defense today is so much harder because you have to close out everything. So, it used to be, you’re Victor Wembanyama, you just plant yourself in the paint, and you’re a rim protector. But I’m watching him on defense now, the way they’re using him, he is like in the paint and then he’s trying to close out a three-pointer.”

Adam Silver on the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship:

"As a New Yorker, and a lifelong New Yorker, I don’t remember excitement around anything like this… It was just a unique moment." pic.twitter.com/0CHBzpCi3u

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) June 24, 2026

Adam Silver

On the NBA becoming more balanced:

“The goal over time has been, and I’ve said it, to be more NFL-like. Where you believe your team has a shot. Maybe not every single season, but your view is, regardless of the market size, if your team is well-managed, if you have a little bit of luck in there, you have a good chance to be in the playoffs and potentially be the champion. And so I think what we’ve seen is societal changes; I think that nobody’s going to say that Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio can’t get global attention because it’s a smaller market. I love the fact this year, even San Antonio vs. New York, I don’t think the storyline was small market-big market; I think it was Wemby vs. Jalen, or whatever else. So I think the players recognize they can have success regardless of where they are.”

On the second apron:

“We want a better distribution of the players, and we’re seeing that. I just think fans want a sense that it’s not (as) top-heavy as it was historically in the NBA. I don’t think fans are as enthusiastic about them if one team is spending drastically more than any other team.”

"I think if the Cavs were willing to do that, they could have LeBron, obviously LeBron would have to want to sign with the Cavs," – @WindhorstESPN says the Lakers would KILL to get Jarrett Allen in a trade for LeBron. pic.twitter.com/WiFmIABUiE

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 24, 2026

Brian Windhorst

On a hypothetical LeBron James sign-and-trade to Cleveland:

“Obviously, LeBron would have to want to sign with the Cavs, but if your pathway to paying LeBron the money is to trade Jarrett Allen for him, the Lakers would kill for Jarrett Allen. Kill for him. They would do that deal in 17-tenths of a second.”

HERMOSA MAÑANA, VERDAD??? pic.twitter.com/QW5BtDttD8

— Fran (@frabigol) August 23, 2024

THE PICK IS IN! The Brooklyn Nets have selected Mikel Brown Jr. at six overall in the highly anticipated 2026 NBA Draft. They picked up Joshua Jeffries and Tyler Bilodeau later in the draft. They also just traded for…you guessed it…JULIUS RANDLE! Sharif Phillips-Keaton rejoins the show to talk through one of the wildest weeks in NetsWorld in a long time.

In this episode of The Brooklyn with Pooch & Collin, we touch on:

• Mikel Brown Jr. being the right pick over Acuff
• Joshua Jefferson’s game
• Grading the Julius Randle trade

You can also check out the episode for free on Spotify and Apple Music. Make sure to follow us on X, Instagram, and TikTok as well.

A piggyback-proof back, Steph Curry numbers, and a coachable mindset?

The case for Mikel Brown Jr. is getting stronger 👀

(w/ @CoreyTulaba) pic.twitter.com/4bqyXcBrsQ

— The Brooklyn (@thebrooklynpod) May 22, 2026

We also recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers on YouTube. Thank you to everyone who has supported us thus far!

Fresh off their 2026 championship, the stakes couldn’t feel lighter for Knicks fans watching this year’s NBA Draft, but the front office was hard at work replenishing their young talent and avoiding the impending salary cap crunch. In true Leon Rose fashion, New York actively wheeled and dealed through the two evenings. 

Let’s break down their moves and grade each one.

Knicks trade No. 24 for five second-round picks

This deal actually came together in three separate pieces. First, the Knicks moved down a spot for cash considerations, then dealt the 25th overall pick in exchange for the 30th pick and two second-round picks.

They then flipped the 30th pick for three more second-round picks, fully moving out of the first round. This saved them the cost of a guaranteed rookie salary (unless the player was a draft-and-stash) while boosting their pick chest with a trove of second-rounders.

Fans will lament the opportunity cost of not betting on potential in one of the most stacked drafts in recent memory, but the Knicks priority should be retaining the winning players on their roster. They also have many promising prospects already in Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, Mohamed Diawara, Pacome Dadiet and Kevin McCullar Jr.

Grade: A

Knicks trade No. 31 and No. 55 for No. 39 and No. 53 and a 2029 Sacramento Kings second-round pick

The Knicks would ultimately flip the 53rd overall pick for cash, so for moving eight slots down, they acquired what could be a valuable future second. These picks should mean more to them in 2029, when their core will be much older, than now, when they can take gambles later in the round and aren’t desperate for young talent. 

There is inherent extra value at 31, being right on the cusp of the first round in a loaded draft, so there might have been more juice to squeeze here.  

Grade: B

Second round, pick No. 39: guard Jack Kayil

Kayil is a 19-year-old, 6-foot-4, 189-pound point guard out of Germany with an audacious shot diet and super-high ceiling. He’s primarily a shooter, and although he doesn’t boast the most efficient numbers, his fundamentals and ability to make tough shots are both promising.

He’s likely to be a bit of a project, needing to refine his shot selection, handles and defense. He doesn’t come crazy burst or change of speed, leading to much fewer successful rim attacks than you’d like out of a guard prospect.

But with so many young guys on the roster ready to take a leap and contribute to the regular rotation, having a high-ceiling guy to develop in the long term doesn’t hurt. He can be a better passing Desmond Bane, or not work out at all, but it’s of little risk to the Knicks.

Grade: B

Second round, pick No. 47: wing Tyler Nickel

Nickel, a 22-year-old swingman, nets the Knicks one of the best shooters of his class, someone who knocked down 40 percent of his threes on 7.6 attempts a game. He did so at a 6’6” frame with a near 6’9” wingspan, offering potential positional flexibility and defensive upside.

This is the other side of the coin from the Kayil pick, getting a guy with a set skillset that’s likely not going to evolve dramatically. The bet is on his defense holding up and his shooting translating to NBA closeouts and defenders. If those things happen, New York has its Sam Hauser, or a bigger Landry Shamet replacement. 

Grade: B

In summation, the Knicks turned their three picks into two prospects and four additional second-round picks. This is consistent with their strategy in previous drafts, and fans should have unbound faith in this front office’s ability to maximize late picks and their asset stash.

Overall Grade: A-

College basketball stars used to rush to the NBA, lured by the riches that awaited them. That's not necessarily the case anymore with NIL riches available on campus. That dynamic has complicated the should-I-go or should-I-stay dilemma for underclassmen.

Whether it was bad advice or overconfidence, some early entrants for the 2026 NBA Draft had some unexpected slides this week.

Here are a few players who might be second guessing their decisions:

2026 NBA Draft team grades: Which front offices did the best in both rounds?

Henri Veesaar, North Carolina

Drafted No. 52 overall by Clippers (traded to Atlanta)

A projected first-round pick, Veesaar turned down a reported $5 million NIL payday to enter the draft. The 7-foot center from Estonia averaged a career-best 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Tar Heels. Instead of spending a season under NBA champion coach Michael Malone's tutelage in Chapel Hill, Veesaar cast his lost in the draft... and fell to No. 52. There's talk Veesaar's camp steered teams away as he had a late-round promise, but No. 52 hasn't been a spot that's produced many standouts. Over the past 20 years the best No. 52 picks have been Luka Garza (2021) and Mark Pope (2006).

Isaiah Evans, Duke

Drafted No. 33 by Brooklyn (traded to Minnesota)

Evans left Duke after a sophomore season that saw him earn third-team All-ACC honors after averaging 15 points and 3.2 rebounds a game. Evans entered his name in the 2025 draft before withdrawing, and maybe wishes he had second thoughts again. Another projected first-round pick (Evans attended Tuesday's first round), he had to wait until Wednesday's second round to hear his name.

Meleek Thomas, Arkansas

Drafted No. 34 by Sacramento (traded to Cleveland)

While nine freshmen went in the top 10 picks (including Razorbacks teammate Darius Acuff who went No. 7), another one-and-done entrant had to wait longer than expected to hear his name called... a full 24 hours. In most of the pre-draft process, Thomas was a projected first round pick, but as the draft got closer, his stock started to slip.

Thomas became a full-time starter in late January and averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, shooting 41.6% from 3-point range. He has plenty of tools, but in a loaded draft like this year's, returning to Fayetteville for another season under John Calipari could have polished him into a 2027 lottery pick.

Koa Peat, Arizona

Drafted No. 30 by Dallas (traded to Phoenix)

While Peat had to wait until the last pick of the first round to hear his name called, things may have eventually worked out for Peat. Peat won four high school state championships in Arizona, helped the Wildcats break its Final Four drought and now gets to stay home with the Suns. So he's probably not complaining too much, but he was projected to go higher and sliding all the way down to No. 30 had to be nerve-wracking. He was one pick shy of missing out on a guaranteed contract. Whew. Had he stayed one more year, in a weaker draft, he could have been a top-10 pick in 2027.

Chris Cenac Jr., Houston

Drafted No. 27 by Boston

Projected as a mid-first round pick, Cenac was one of the last players invited to Wednesday's first round to hear his name called. A former top-10 recruit, Cenac won't turn 20 until February, so he's got plenty of development left. That likely could happen in Maine and the G League as the Celtics already have Neemias Queta and Luka Garza at center.

“There certainly probably is a lot of excitement and expectation from his, but we were sitting here last year and I didn’t think the guy that we drafted would play at all for us,” Celtics president Brad Stevens told reporters after the pick. “But you never know. Let’s see. We’ll see how they all come in and work and he’ll certainly have the opportunity like everybody else. But you’re behind when you’re 19 and you’re dealing with now men.”

Another year in college being coached by Kelvin Sampson probably could have turned Cenac into a lottery pick.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Worst NBA draft decisions as underclassmen pass up NIL millions for 2nd round

A lot has happened in the past couple of days for the Minnesota Timberwolves. It started on Monday night when they traded away Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in what was essentially a salary dump.

Shortly thereafter, they re-signed Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract. The deal will keep him under contract through at least the 2029-30 season before he has a player option on the final year of his new deal in 2030-31.

After the Randle trade, which sent out the Wolves’ 28th overall pick in exchange for the 33rd overall pick, Minnesota was left without a first-round pick. In the second round, the Wolves selected Isaiah Evans from Duke with the 33rd pick and Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn at the 59th.

That is a lot to happen all in the span of three days, so here are some news and notes about where the Timberwolves find themselves with the 2026 NBA Draft now in the books.

Editor’s note- As this was being published, the Timberwolves traded Naz Reid and draft picks to the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball and Josh Green

---

Wolves pick Isaiah Evans with the 33rd Pick

After moving back five spots following the Randle trade, the Timberwolves made their first selection of the 2026 NBA Draft, taking Evans with the 33rd overall pick. Evans is a six-foot-six wing from Duke who projects as one of the best shooters in this draft class.

The Wolves had Evans much higher than 33rd on their draft board and were considering taking him in the first round before they traded back. The Timberwolves believe they can develop Evans as a movement shooter and think highly of his confidence and mental makeup.

“I think it was just my ability to stretch the floor,” Evans said to reporters about the aspect of his game that he felt the Wolves were intrigued by. “It was my shooting ability that really got me in the door.”

The Wolves’ new rookie also spoke about who on the Wolves roster he is looking forward to learning from, saying, “Jaden McDaniels is a lot bigger than me, but I’m really interested in learning from him, how to affect the game on the defensive side as much as he does. Obviously, when Donte gets back, I really want to be able to fill in that role behind him and just learn how to come in and be that guy who is impacting the game on the wing alongside the guards.”

The main area of improvement for Evans that will determine the success of his time in Minnesota, and likely his NBA career, is his defensive ability, as is the case with many young prospects. Minnesota will try to develop him into a player who can defend multiple positions and will look for him to add muscle this summer.

Timberwolves just grabbed one of the best shooters in this draft in Isaiah Evans. Love how much his game has grown the last couple years and how he comes into the league with an elite skill. pic.twitter.com/mT4mAT6k5U

— Tyler Metcalf (@tmetcalf11) June 25, 2026

Internal Growth

While the Wolves start their search of free agency to add talent to the roster, many in the Timberwolves front office believe that one of the main ways Minnesota will improve heading into next season is from players already on the roster getting better.

“I think we’re going to put a huge emphasis on internal development,” Connelly stated. “I think we have a couple guys that had very limited roles last year that are capable of a lot, lot more.”

The two most notable players that the Wolves expect to see growth from are Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels. Both are set to see increased roles on next year’s team, with Reid joining the starting lineup and McDaniels likely slated for more on-ball possessions.

“It’s just about creating the opportunities now,” Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch said of Reid and McDaneils. “I think we’ve seen what they can do, and it’s their job to make sure it stays at a consistently high level… We’ve talked about it before. When you have a lot of great options, it’s just a usage puzzle, and we just gotta make sure that the usage is appropriate.”

With Randle out of the way,

Finch shared a similar sentiment when speaking about Terrence Shannon Jr. and Joan Beringer, who are both set to have more carved out roles for them in the rotation.

“It’s about creating pathways for those guys to be able to play,” Finch explained. “You might say, ‘Isn’t that the coach’s job?’ But sometimes, you know, there’s a gridlock. When you have the type of roster construction that we’ve had in the last couple of years, which has been a large part of our identity. So we’ve gotta look at how we can either kind of change things around or get to a point where these guys can get a more consistent role.”

Beringer, especially, has caught the eye of the Timberwolves brass as he has steadily improved behind the scenes during his 12 months with the organization.

“Oh boy, here we go,” Timberwolves General Manager Matt Lloyd said excitedly when asked about Beringer. “His progression since he got here, first off, he learned English, so that tends to help a little bit, and secondly, he’s put the work in to elicit a positive outcome because that’s who he is.”

Matt Lloyd with some insight on Joan Beringer’s growth and the plan for him heading into Summer League 🐺🐺🐺 pic.twitter.com/gebDgduanY

— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) June 25, 2026

The Wolves are still likely going to add pieces to their roster, with the point guard position lingering as a need. Minnesota is also banking on the improvement from the young core of its roster. From starters like Reid and McDaniels, down to the 20-year-old French kid set to see his first consistent stretch of playing time, the Wolves are expecting the returning portion of their roster to take big strides next season.

Anthony Edwards isn’t Going Anywhere

Almost immediately after Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat, the NBA world, mostly on social media, went searching for the next superstar that they wanted to see traded.

Unfortunately for Timberwolves fans, that led them to Anthony Edwards. Even though Edwards still has three years left on his contract, that didn’t stop many from wondering if the 24-year-old, four-time All-Star is currently disappointed with the current state of his team.

While that may be what opposing fans want to see from Edwards, it is certainly not what he or his camp have indicated to local reporters or the Timberwolves themselves.

“I think he’s super super excited,” Connelly said about Edwards. “There’s been countless things we could have done. I think our roster is pretty well though of league wide. When you go to your leaders like Ant, you say it takes this to get that, and the conviction he has in our guys is evident, and we say, No, we’re not trading this guy.”

I’ve seen a lot of the “is Ant the next to ask for a trade” chatter? Just can tell you from talking to some people Ant still very much loves it in Minnesota. He and his people think it’s a great situation. He obviously wants to keep competing at a high level … (1/2)

— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) June 23, 2026

The discourse about Edwards potentially leaving the Wolves one day are not likely to stop any time soon. Online fans who only follow the sport by hopping from one trade rumor to the next are not likely to give it up until they either get what they want or Edwards signs an extension past his current contract.

The only thing the Timberwolves can do now is put the best team possible around Edwards so that when he is handed that potential extension as soon as next summer, he signs it without hesitation.

The Dallas Mavericks carried the #9 pick, the #30 pick and the #48 pick into the 2026 NBA Draft. They came out with Morez Johnson, Sergio De Larrea (after moving from #30 to #25) and Tobi Lawal, respectively. For good measure, they bought pick #56 and acquired Vsevolod Ishchenko as well.

Many were surprised Dallas did not seek guard help with #9, especially with Brayden Burries still available when the Mavs made their first selection. In De Larrea, they did ultimately acquire said guard, and a long and tall one at that, but he most likely will need development time before having a measurable impact.

Incongruities between expectation and reality often cause a range of generally negative reactions – disappointment, annoyance, frustration – but just because the front office plan wasn’t guard-centric doesn’t mean it was a poor plan. In fact, GM Mike Schmitz suggests quite the opposite. In a post-Draft press conference after night one, Schmitz extolled the outcome as largely on point with what the front office was after. “We feel this went accordingly to plan,” he stated succinctly.

Here we will break down three individuals he spoke about throughout the presser.

Dusty May

“Incredible confidence.”

Schmitz articulated his history with May, which dates back to the latter’s time as an assistant with Florida Atlantic. The two scouted overseas together early in their respective careers and have known each other for years. Schmitz’s sense that May is the right person to helm the Mavericks is apparent. He was highly complimentary of May’s ability to build relationships with players, lead a team and ultimately succeed as he did en route to winning the National Championship just a few months ago.

Confidence in May is not exactly surprising. Had the front office not believed in him, he wouldn’t have been offered the job. What is at least somewhat newsworthy here is the history the two shared. Up until the hire, May was a pipedream and it was not widely know that Schmitz had an existing relationship with him. This is yet another example of the advantage of having life-long basketball executives who have cut their teeth in a conventional and progressive way. As much as the commentary was about May, it demonstrates what the Mavs have with Schmitz – an executive with a great track record and far-reaching relationships.

Patrick Dumont

“Very supportive.”

Schmitz was asked about Dumont, who was seen in the draft room video when Dallas selected Johnson, and he did not hesitate to heap praise upon the team owner. He described Dumont as a positive influence that was curious about the process without running any type of interference.

Dumont is quietly conducting his apology tour following the Luka Doncic trade, and he is doing so effectively. He cast himself in a very poor light following that fateful trade, making comments unbecoming of his position and appearing easily duped and perhaps even naïve for following the solitary opinion of Nico Harrison. Since that time, Dumont has endeavored to make amends with the fan base, sitting courtside with a fan who days earlier told him exactly what he thought, among other things. Acknowledging a blunder and setting out to make things right is an admirable quality and for all the flack he rightfully received in the past, we may want to consider giving Dumont his flowers (even if not everyone is ready to hand over a full bouquet quite yet). After decades of Mark Cuban making basketball decisions and perhaps even showing a frugalness contrary to his reputation, the Mavericks may finally have an owner with deep pockets, a willingness to spend, and the ability to get out of the way of the basketball lifers he hired in the first place – that could be an amazing advantage for the Mavs.

Morez Johnson

“Toughness. Competitiveness. High Energy.”

Schmitz is clearly high on what Johnson will bring to the team. He spoke enthusiastically about his intensity, particularly on the defensive end, where he feels he can cover positions one through five. He further suggested that Johnson is a “great fit with Cooper [Flagg],” referencing his ability to space, pass and attack the offensive glass. Leaving no doubt that Dallas got the player they wanted, Schmitz stated “we were thrilled that Morez was there when we were choosing nine and we think he fits perfectly what we’re trying to do.”

Closing the loop on expectation vs. reality, each and every fan did not get what they wanted – that, of course, would be impossible. But what each and every fan can take away from the Draft is that this front office has a plan and they are executing that plan flawlessly at this point. It may not be a plan everyone agrees with (again, impossible), but in the wake of the Draft, I find it refreshing to take a breath and recognize the effort and professionalism being displayed. It’s a welcome thought knowing the days of leaving Giannis Antetokounmpo on the board in an effort to save a few hundred thousand dollars for a ‘big fish’ that never arrived, are most likely behind us. Also, whether Johnson was the guy any of us wanted is almost irrelevant. He’s a well regarded winner that will likely win over the fanbase in a hurry and Dallas could have done a lot worse, or something really off the wall foolish.

There is still work to be done, but we can all have confidence there is a plan being executed.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

The Charlotte Hornets traded guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN.com.

The Hornets also traded guard Josh Green to Minnesota, who sent center/forward Naz Reid, a former NBA Sixth Man of the Year, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030), and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033) back to Charlotte.

Ball, 24, averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals in 72 games last season for the Hornets, who reached the NBA Play-in Tournament this season but have missed the playoffs in each of the past 10 years. He has had an injury-plagued career, with significant ankle and lower leg injuries in his six NBA seasons.

The Hornets selected Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and he won the Rookie of the Year award in 2021.

Ball has three seasons remaining on his five-year, $203.9 million contract signed with the Hornets and will make $40.8 million during the 2026-27 season. He is eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million extension once the NBA free agency moratorium ends on July 6.

With the Ball trade, the Hornets are moving forward with building around forward Brandon Miller and forward Kon Knueppel, who led the league in 3-pointers and finished second in the rookie of the year balloting last season.

Reid, 26, averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 77 games for Minnesota and will be entering the second season of a five-year, $125 million deal he signed in 2025.

The Hornets added Hannes Steinbach, who led the NCAA in rebounding in the 2026 NBA Draft, and guard Christian Anderson Jr. with the No. 18 overall pick.

Charlotte had a strong finish to the season, winning 28 of its last 38 games, but lost to the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament.

The Timberwolves now have two dynamic guards, with Ball paired with star Anthony Edwards, who was the No. 1 overall pick in Ball's draft class, making them instantly one of the more formidable backcourts in the Western Conference.

By shipping Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a trade earlier in the offseason and re-signing guard Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract, the Timberwolves continue their aggressive win-now mentality under owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. Currently, Minnesota is nearly $5 million over the luxury tax after taking on Ball's and Green's contracts.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LaMelo Ball traded to Timberwolves for Naz Reid, draft picks

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, Al Horford will decline his player option to sign a new two year, $14 million deal to stay with the Golden State Warriors.

With this signing, Horford officially becomes the 13th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons.

Golden State's Al Horford is declining his player option and intends to sign a new two-year, $14 million deal to stay with the Warriors, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater. Horford, 40, becomes only the 13th player in NBA history to reach 20 seasons. pic.twitter.com/Tuu4oYb9hV

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

According to Slater and Charania, Horford’s deal is fully guaranteed and includes a trade kicker.

Horford joins the list of 20-season players that includes LeBron James, Vince Carter, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis, Robert Parish, Kyle Lowry, Udonis Haslem, Jamal Crawford, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Per Horford in the article that announced the deal:

“I knew a few off the top of my head, but I hadn’t seen the list. It’s hard to believe. It’s something that, for me, I’m very grateful. It’s just so hard to be in this league for that amount of years. There’s a lot of commitment, a lot of sacrifice and time. I still feel like I’m able to contribute and have an impact on a team.”

The Warriors’ plan for Horford this offseason is to stay in the Bay Area to work with Rick Celebrini, carefully following a conditioning program that will allow Horford to stay health and in shape throughout next season. That includes foregoing participation in national team duties for the Dominican Republic this summer.

Horford’s first season with the Warriors saw the 40-year-old veteran averaging 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Though the team’s title aspirations were derailed by a mid-season injury to Jimmy Butler, Horford provided crucial frontcourt depth before their season ended in the Play-In tournament.

The Hornets are out of the Lamelo Ball business, trading him to the Timberwolves on Thursday, ESPN.com reported.

Ball was shipped to Minnesota in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, and 2030) and three second-round picks.

Reserve guard Josh Green heads to Minnesota as well in the trade.

The move comes after reports that Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards would force a trade from Minnesota in the near future if the team doesn’t improve his supporting cast.

The pairing of Ball and Edwards should be interesting, as the now-former Hornets guard is one of the most divisive stars in the NBA.

Ball is not known as a player who takes defensive effort particularly seriously, although he did play better during the Hornets’ second-half playoff push, where they went 18-9, among the best in basketball.

Shot selection is another key sticking point that has frustrated Ball fans, as he sometimes shoots off-balance jump shots from several feet beyond the arc.

It’ll be up to Timberwolves coach Chris Finch to reign in Ball’s questionable shot quality and inconsistent defensive prowess.

The poor defensive metrics will likely be masked somewhat by the presence of perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert backing him up down low.

Ball has also seldom been available during his NBA career.

He played in 72 games last season, the second-most of his career, but suited up for just 105 of a possible 246 games in his prior three seasons in the league.

Ball averaged his fewest points per game since his rookie year (20.1), but he still helped the Hornets qualify for the Play-In Tournament, and last season was the most wins he has contributed to since he entered the NBA.

For Minnesota, the loss of Reid certainly hurts their big man depth, as they also just traded their other forward, Julius Randle, to the Nets in a salary dump earlier this week.

The Hornets will now go forward with guards that consist of Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, while welcoming in Reid to their backcourt.

There will be plenty of content from the Brew Hoop team memorialising Giannis and his impact in Milwaukee over the coming weeks, but for this article, I wanted to delve deep into the minutiae of how the Bucks move forward from here, now that the draft is over. Are the obstacles in front of them really as debilitating as outsiders make them seem? Clearly, the goal will not be to win a title in the immediate future, so what should they aim to do? When might fans truly get to see the “light at the end of the tunnel”? My take on it all:

Rebuilding without your own picks

With Giannis now shipped off to South Beach, the Bucks have entered a phase they haven’t been in for a very long time: the rebuilding phase. The model rebuilding teams have generally followed in the past is to tank for 2-4 years, acquire picks at the top of the draft, and hope they can emerge with the requisite talent to compete once again. Now, the NBA has (foolishly, in my view) all but outlawed tanking anyway, but even if they hadn’t, that wouldn’t have been an option for Milwaukee because they don’t own their picks outright until 2031.

So, how do the Bucks rebuild without going to the draft (or having access to the top of it)? Well, the way I’ve been looking at it is they did go to the draft… they just packed what would have been a multiyear process into one offseason. Think about it: as opposed to building their young core over the course of 2-4 years, the Giannis trade gave them a unique opportunity to, in a way, do it in one fell swoop.

They acquired young, promising pieces in Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis (we’ll see what they do with Tyler Herro)… to pair with their multiple 2026 lottery picks in Brayden Burries and Nate Ament… to pair with their own proven/promising/interesting young guys in Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, Jericho Sims, Ousmane Dieng, and Bogoljub Markovic. The average age of this entire group is 22.81 years old. If you remove Herro (as they appear to prefer trading him before the season), along with Sims and Green (who might be “on the outer” to varying degrees), the average age reduces to just 21.50.

Of course, we wait to see what happens with some of the remaining veterans on this team—such as Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma—but it’s very plausible that they, too, could be flipped for draft picks and/or young players. I mean, credit where credit’s due: I really think Jon Horst and his team cooked here. That doesn’t mean it will all be sunshine and rainbows in the years to come, but from a process standpoint, you really can’t fault their approach to this “flash rebuild.”

How the Bucks can still generate future draft picks

I want to add that although the Bucks will not have their own picks during this time, they can acquire other teams’ picks by 1. trading their veterans, as I just mentioned, and 2. taking on bad contracts in exchange for draft capital. There is some well-founded debate about the extent to which the front office should be trying to win and make this group as formidable as possible, since they don’t own their picks (within reason; I am absolutely not implying that they should make another all-in trade).

More specifically, I am referring to the debate over the extent to which they should absorb other teams’ bad contracts for picks, even though doing so might make them marginally worse in the short term, possibly improving their pick for the team that owns it. For what it’s worth, I would dismiss this notion out of hand. Milwaukee owns a grand total of two picks over the next four years; Horst should be uber-opportunistic in acquiring as much draft capital as possible, and live with the results.

Additionally, as I outline in the next segment, the next two drafts (at least) are projected to be… below average, shall we say. The players that the Bucks give up via their own picks may not even be that good. Moreover, Milwaukee will generate a $25.5m trade exception in the Giannis trade. For those who don’t know, a trade exception allows Team A to absorb a contract (or contracts) without having to send out matching salary to Team B, which helps Team B save money and makes Team A an attractive trade partner. The Bucks should try to put that trade exception to good use.

Of course, another element of the push-and-pull between winning now and fortifying the future is which players the org wants to prioritise. I don’t feel like it’s a controversial take to say that I don’t want Nate Ament’s minutes being taken all season by Taurean Prince, for example. Sure, make the kids earn it, but they are the future—play ’em.

The hardest part of any rebuild

Ultimately, I think the most pressing task the Bucks will have over the coming years is simple: finding The Guy. I do believe this roster now has the bones to develop into a deep, entertaining squad that is a fringe playoff chance down the road, but I’m not sure their ceiling is much higher than that. It’s all well and good to have a team of solid players, but history tells us that you need stars to compete. Whether said star (or stars) is/are already on the roster is another question, but that’s the next step for this franchise.

It should be mentioned that nobody thought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would become this when he was included in that blockbuster transaction with LA. Nobody thought Jalen Brunson would become the player he became when he arrived in New York. These success stories happen—the Bucks will need to find their own.

Will not having picks actually hurt Milwaukee?

People often denigrate Milwaukee’s outlook by referring to the org having traded their picks away, but if you look under the hood, the situation is not as dire as you might think. There are two reasons for this: 1. not having access to a draft only hurts if that draft itself is strong, and 2. the team that owns the Bucks’ picks and swaps plays a factor as well.

Analysing the upcoming draft classes

Let’s start with the 2027 draft. Look, if you had to choose a draft to not have a pick, this would undoubtedly be it. Jonathan Givony, founder of the well-known Draft Express, reported in July last year that league executives “are already ringing alarm bells in their front offices for the 2027 NBA draft, which appears to be an especially weak group of rising high school seniors and international players.”

The 2028 draft—when the Bucks will have the lesser swap rights between like three different teams (it’s really confusing)—appears to be slightly stronger than 2027, but it still looks to be much closer to the ‘27 draft than this year’s. So, let’s just stop here for a second: we’ve now accounted for two of the next four drafts in which not having your pick (or unfettered rights to it) might not actually be that significant.

Moving to the 2029 draft, it becomes increasingly hard to project right at this moment because you’re betting on kids three years away, but I have heard that this draft is a step above the previous two—the Bucks do not own any pick for this one, so that’s certainly not ideal. Maybe they can target getting that pick back down the line.

As for the 2030 crop, well, ESPN doesn’t even have rankings for this class yet, so your guess is as good as mine regarding its strength. But as far as the Bucks are concerned, they will receive the second-most favourable pick between their own, the Blazers’, and the Heat’s; this was another shrewd move by Horst, extracting a 2030 pick swap in the Giannis trade.

From there, the Bucks finally own unfettered access to their own firsts moving forward. Additionally, they now own Miami’s firsts in 2031 and 2033, when Giannis will be 36 and 38 years old. We shall see how that plays out down the line…

Why Portland owning Milwaukee’s picks matters

I’ve already written about why the changes to draft odds—in place until 2029, when they will be reevaluated—benefit the Bucks, but there’s another underdiscussed factor regarding Portland owning Milwaukee’s draft from 2028-2030: the strength of the Blazers themselves during this period.

Think about this: the only reason the Bucks were able to quasi-tank their way to the 10^th pick this year is because the team that could have swapped picks with them (the Pelicans) was worse than them. Thus, Milwaukee was able to sink lower and lower while still being likely to retain their own pick (or, at the very least, a swap would have yielded a good pick for Milwaukee anyway).

Now, I’m not necessarily saying that the Bucks will be better than Portland during this period, but you tell me: what are the odds that Portland will be a playoff team in the west from 2028-2030? Most of those West playoff teams aren’t going anywhere, and teams like the Utah Jazz will be trying to win and look quite promising.

Look, I think there’s a good chance Portland is right there with Milwaukee in the lottery during those years; therefore, even if the Blazers swap picks with the Bucks and move up, Milwaukee would still get a lottery pick as a consolation prize. And with the flattened odds, who knows if the Blazers will even end up swapping picks in the first place, even if the Bucks have a worse record. Touch wood, but I doubt this will be like the infamous Thunder-Clippers deal, where LA often got their pick swapped to the end of the first round because OKC was so good.

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All in all, watching the Bucks will now be a different type of experience than the one we are all used to, but honestly, I’m excited for it. Sure, watching your team try to compete year after year brings a certain exhilaration that probably won’t be replicated in the Cream City for a while. At the same time, that era, to me, had reached a dead end and was only going to get more toxic (and don’t take my word for it, take the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s: How the Giannis Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee came to a bitter end). Frankly, watching a group of hungry young fellas come together to build something from the ground up sounds like a nice switch-up.

Let’s do this.