LaMelo Ball, the video that shows how the trade came together

A little under two months after the trade that sent LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Charlotte Hornets decided to show something that normally stays behind closed doors in NBA front offices: how a trade of this magnitude really comes together.

Charlotte released a new episode of the Reel Access series, bringing cameras inside the franchise’s offices during some of the most important days of the summer. And amid phone calls, meetings and internal evaluations, there is also the moment when the Hornets begin to realize that a LaMelo Ball trade is becoming a real possibility.

The Hornets and the decision on LaMelo Ball

In the video, general manager Jeff Peterson is seen discussing an offer for Ball with the rest of the front office. The team is not initially revealed, but the central point of the discussion is fairly clear: someone has finally reached the price the Hornets had set for LaMelo.

At that point, Charlotte has to make a decision that goes far beyond simply evaluating the trade. The question essentially becomes which direction to take the franchise in moving forward.

Another significant detail also emerges during the discussion. Peterson admits that, if Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball, it would probably trade Miles Bridges as well.

And that is exactly what happened shortly afterward.

The trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves

The Hornets eventually reached an agreement with Minnesota, sending LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Timberwolves. In return, Charlotte received Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round swap opportunities in 2028, 2029 and 2030, and three future second-round picks, in 2029, 2032 and 2033.

The deal was subsequently expanded to four teams, and Charlotte added other assets, including the rights to Matteo Spagnolo and Mouhamadou Gueye.

The trade primarily represented the end of the LaMelo era in Charlotte after six seasons and the Hornets’ decision to build their new project primarily around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel.

Before the news broke

Probably the most intriguing part of the footage comes once the deal with Minnesota is already done. The Hornets’ front office knows it won’t be long before the trade becomes public and organizes itself to contact the people directly involved, so that players and their respective entourages can learn about the decision from the franchise before reading it on social media or through NBA insiders.

It’s a sequence that illustrates just how quickly deals of this kind can move: weeks of evaluations can turn into just a few hours between an agreement, calls to players and the public announcement.

Shortly afterward, Charlotte also completed the other part of the revolution foreshadowed during those meetings, sending Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns and receiving Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and a 2033 first-round pick.

The Hornets had therefore already decided which path to take: if the right offer for LaMelo Ball came along, a true changing of the guard would begin.

This time, the cameras were in the room as that decision was being made.