‘Off Limits’ — Timberwolves Refuse To Part With $131,000,000 Starter Amid ‘Undeniably Serious’ Trade Interest in LaMelo Ball

The Charlotte Hornets haven’t been actively shopping star point guard LaMelo Ball, but discussions with multiple interested teams are reportedly gaining momentum.

According to a Wednesday night report from NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Minnesota Timberwolves are among those that have explored a potential deal for Ball. However, Minnesota remains unwilling to include certain players in trade negotiations, most notably two-way forward Jaden McDaniels.

Timberwolves Protecting Jaden McDaniels, Other Key Assets Amid Pursuit of LaMelo Ball

Per Stein and Fischer, Minnesota’s interest in Ball is genuine and substantial. With superstar wing Anthony Edwards, a young core featuring McDaniels and versatile big man Naz Reid, and experienced veterans such as four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves are eager to bolster their backcourt.

“Minnesota’s interest, sources tell The Stein Line, is undeniably serious,” Stein and Fischer wrote. “… The Wolves are widely regarded as a team that will undoubtedly be as aggressive as possible this offseason to try to reshape the core around Edwards after finances forced Minnesota to let Nickeil Alexander-Walker walk in free agency last summer.”

The departure of Alexander-Walker to the Atlanta Hawks has become a tough pill to swallow for Minnesota. Not only did he go on to win the 2026 NBA Most Improved Player award, but the Timberwolves also watched their young players struggle to make comparable leaps.

Earlier this week, Minnesota introduced an unexpected wrinkle to its offseason by agreeing to send star forward Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a salary-clearing move designed to create flexibility to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu and make roster upgrades.

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However, the Timberwolves remain firm on one key point: McDaniels is unavailable in any trade talks.

“Minnesota has maintained that perimeter defensive ace Jaden McDaniels is off limits in trade conversations,” Stein and Fischer wrote.

McDaniels is coming off his sixth season, during which he averaged 14.8 points per game before elevating his play in the postseason with 16.3 points a night. With Randle no longer on the roster, there is a clear opportunity for another player to emerge as Edwards’ primary running mate, and McDaniels appears well-positioned to take on that responsibility.

The Timberwolves’ stance makes sense considering both his value and contract. McDaniels is locked into a five-year, $131,000,000 deal spanning until the end of the 2028-29 campaign.

The report also revealed that Minnesota would like to avoid involving Donte DiVincenzo in offseason trade discussions. The veteran guard suffered a devastating torn Achilles tendon during Minnesota’s first-round playoff series victory over the Denver Nuggets, and the franchise reportedly wants to stand by him.

Minnesota is also reluctant to move Reid, who is expected to step into the starting power forward role for the first time in his career next season.

However, Stein and Fischer noted that putting together an enticing trade package for Ball could prove difficult without including either Reid or Gobert. One possibility mentioned in the report is expanding the Randle trade framework to help facilitate additional transactions if the Timberwolves are indeed serious about acquiring Ball.

The 24-year-old played a major role in helping Charlotte reach the 2026 play-in tournament after three consecutive losing seasons. With ESPN insider Shams Charania reporting that a trade could potentially happen within the next 24 to 48 hours, all focus is now on Minnesota to see whether it makes a bold push to bring in the talented point guard.