Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[cow]

Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes)
Minnesota Timberwolves have expressed a strong desire to acquire Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball, league sources tell me. Hornets only listening to offers at the moment.

If the Tpups get LaMelo, over/under on 2 years before Ant asks to be traded?

[Chicagojk]

That Ball rumor came out of nowhere. Especially without the playing making the request. Really intersting what the return would be. Also things seemed to be going real well there. You would think there natural doubt by the player moving forward if he is not moved.

Ball was such a roller coaster ride in the playin game after a good year. Not too much interests me on Toronto and Minny though. Seems a lot to give up for an aging center in Gobert

[Mavs2021]

That Ball rumor came out of nowhere.  Especially without the playing making the request.  Really intersting what the return would be.  Also things seemed to be going real well there.  You would think there natural doubt by the player moving forward if he is not moved.

Ball was such a roller coaster ride in the playin game after a good year.  Not too much interests me on Toronto and Minny though.  Seems a lot to give up for an aging center in Gobert

I read somewhere that Coby White is from Charlotte. Combine that with the Christian Anderson pick and it seems they are willing to cash out on Ball. If they could get Sensabaugh + Bailey + Kessler from Utah for Ball, they´d have a super-exciting young team.

White/Anderson
Knueppel/Sensabaugh
Miller/Bailey
Steinbach/Diabate
Kessler/Kalkbrenner

Move on from Bridges, too.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Minnesota has maintained that perimeter defensive ace Jaden McDaniels is off limits in trade conversations. Sources say that the Wolves also prefer to "do right" by injured guard Donte DiVincenzo and keep the Villanova product out of their offseason business after he sustained a devastating torn Achilles during Minnesota's first-round playoff victory over Denver. The Wolves, sources say, would also prefer not to part with 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid, but it is difficult to see how they could construct a credible trade offer for Ball without including Reid or fellow big man Rudy Gobert.

marcstein.substack.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Sources say LaMelo 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. 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. We're told that the Hornets are nonetheless listening to the offers they're getting despite their recent success under second-year coach Charles Lee and could go ahead with a trade after the emergence of two players drafted after Ball — Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller — as fellow franchise cornerstones. After ESPN reported Wednesday night that the Charlotte Hornets were fielding offers for Ball, the Timberwolves were one of several teams to express interest in trading for the star point guard, team and league sources told The Athletic. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because discussions were still in the very early stages. If the Minnesota Timberwolves trade for LaMelo Ball, keep an eye on the three-team trade that the Wolves agreed to with the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls, becoming an expanded trade to include the Charlotte Hornets. That would allow Minnesota to use Julius Randle and the outgoing salary-match (he'd still end up in Brooklyn). Would need other pieces involved, too, but could work for the teams involved.

bsky.app



marcstein.substack.com

[FireNicoHarrison]

Minnesota has maintained that perimeter defensive ace Jaden McDaniels is off limits in trade conversations. Sources say that the Wolves also prefer to "do right" by injured guard Donte DiVincenzo and keep the Villanova product out of their offseason business after he sustained a devastating torn Achilles during Minnesota's first-round playoff victory over Denver. The Wolves, sources say, would also prefer not to part with 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid, but it is difficult to see how they could construct a credible trade offer for Ball without including Reid or fellow big man Rudy Gobert.

marcstein.substack.com

Minny is setted for a lifetime medocrity with Connelly... Ant will ask for a trade soon.

[Mavs2021]

Minnesota has maintained that perimeter defensive ace Jaden McDaniels is off limits in trade conversations. Sources say that the Wolves also prefer to "do right" by injured guard Donte DiVincenzo and keep the Villanova product out of their offseason business after he sustained a devastating torn Achilles during Minnesota's first-round playoff victory over Denver. The Wolves, sources say, would also prefer not to part with 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid, but it is difficult to see how they could construct a credible trade offer for Ball without including Reid or fellow big man Rudy Gobert.

marcstein.substack.com

I´d say that´s the most idiotic approach to a trade ever, but then I remembered.

Pelinka: How about I give you absolutely nothing and you give me Luka.
Nico: Okay.

[Smitty]

I read somewhere that Coby White is from Charlotte. Combine that with the Christian Anderson pick and it seems they are willing to cash out on Ball.

I'm actually going to like their team more if they do trade Ball for a haul. White and Anderson are going to be good for them. *Sigh*

[Chicagojk]

Our old friend Iztok mentioned with the glut of big man in Dallas that maybe the lakers could target Pj.  Man, I just don’t know.  Pj had a down season and is just starting an extension but nothing on the lakers interest me for a trade target.

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/207006...01625?s=46

[Smitty]

Our old friend Iztok mentioned with the glut of big man in Dallas that maybe the lakers could target Pj.  Man, I just don’t know.  Pj had a down season and is just starting an extension but nothing on the lakers interest me for a trade target.

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/207006...01625?s=46

Yuck... Rui is a UFA. The Mavs could just sign him. PJ is the better player. Terrible fantasy trade IMO.

[FireNicoHarrison]

Our old friend Iztok mentioned with the glut of big man in Dallas that maybe the lakers could target Pj.  Man, I just don’t know.  Pj had a down season and is just starting an extension but nothing on the lakers interest me for a trade target.

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/207006...01625?s=46

Silver dreams another gift to the Lakers but this time Harrison is just running a McDonald's not the Dallas Mavericks.

Fuck off Lakers
Fuck off Silver.

[Smitty]

The list of UFA Guards isn't a long one. Not really a great one. But here's the best of the group:

SG 6'3-215
Norman Powell 
Age: 33

PG/SG 6'3-200
Anfernee Simons 
Age: 27

PG/SG 6'4-195
Coby White 
Age: 26

PG/SG 6'3-190
Collin Sexton
Age: 27

SG 6'4-210
Quentin Grimes 
Age: 26

SG 6'6-198
Keven Huerter
Age: 27

SG 6'5-206
Luke Kennard
Age: 30

SG 6'4-175
Keon Ellis 
Age: 26

PG 6'0-185 
Aaron Holiday 
Age: 29

[Smitty]

@ShamsCharania
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.

[Smitty]

@ShamsCharania
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.

[omahen]

Our old friend Iztok mentioned with the glut of big man in Dallas that maybe the lakers could target Pj.  Man, I just don’t know.  Pj had a down season and is just starting an extension but nothing on the lakers interest me for a trade target.

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/207006...01625?s=46

I think Rui would actually be great for Mavs, as he is an ok defender and really an elite shooter. He had a good season and was even much better in the playoffs. I guess his playoff performance could bring him in the 20+ mil per salary range. If the market is not so robust, than I guess Lakers would be happy to keep him. 

From the Lakers perspective, everything depends on the LeBron decision. If they decide to resign him, than a player like PJ (or Rui) makes little sense as they play same position as LeBron. With Luka-LeBron-AR and a center the remaining starter should be a point of attack defender. Luka-AR-LeBron will take roughly 75 % of shots available, so only a little bit will be available for the rest of the rotation players. I think the remaining rotation members should be above average defenders with low volume offensive game. 

If LeBron and Lakers decide to part ways, than PJ could make sense as a starting PF, but also Rui would a lot. PJ is a better defender and ok on offense, Rui is an elite shooter that really spreads the floor for Luka. If I am the Lakers I would stay with Rui and only look for significantly better players.

[Smitty]

@ShamsCharania
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.

My Coby White dream is dead. CHA is going to be even better this upcoming season.

[Jmaciscool]

@ShamsCharania
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.

Wow. That seems like a high price pay for Josh Green.

[Mavs2021]

@ShamsCharania
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.

Damn this we give you nothing approach really works. Mavs should try it.   Logically a core of Ball + Edwards + McDaniels should be better than the Hornets in 2028-2030. Age is similar. If not, the difference won´t be much. It´s Naz Reid and a 1st. That´s not a lot.

Somebody explains to me why they traded Randle. LOL. Now they have no frontcourt left. 

Must be the start of a young re-tooling on the fly, and Gobert is next.

Almost feels like Connelly is like: Sh*t guess I´m gonna be here longer than I thought, time to think about the future.

Josh Green getting around.

[omahen]

@ShamsCharania
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.

Wow. Strange move for both teams, imho. Not sure I like it. All of a sudden Minny became very thin at PF and only has one proven C in Gobert. McDaniels is not big/strong enough to play PF imho and they have no one else that could play the position. They also spend all of their assets now.

Charlotte has traded their offensive engine, that will be likely replaced by White. If he walks, they might be in trouble. Not sure why they drafted a bunch of young centers, that will be battling for minutes behind Reed now. They have Kalkbrenner from last season and additional 2 drafted this year. Even though I am not the biggest Ball fan, assets received seem kind of meh.

[DanSchwartzgan]

@ShamsCharania
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.

Yields a $40.7mm TPE...large enought to absorb Kyrie (just saying).  Charlotte has a huge pick inventory now.