The four-team blockbuster trade that saw LaMelo Ball land with Minnesota and Julius Randle head to Brooklyn is now official, according to press releases from the Timberwolves, Hornets, Nets and Bulls.
The full breakdown of the trade is as follows:
- Timberwolves acquire LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, and the draft rights to Isaiah Evans (No. 33 pick; from Nets).
- Hornets acquire Naz Reid, Mouhamadou Gueye, the draft rights to Matteo Spagnolo (from Timberwolves), the Timberwolves’ 2033 first-round pick, the Timberwolves’ 2029 second-round pick, the Timberwolves’ 2032 second-round pick, the Timberwolves’ 2033 second-round pick, the right to swap their 2028 first-round pick for the Timberwolves’ 2028 first-round pick, the right to swap their 2029 first-round pick for the Timberwolves’ 2029 first-round pick (6-30 protected), and a 2030 first-round pick swap.
- Nets acquire Julius Randle and the draft rights to Joshua Jefferson (No. 28 pick; from Timberwolves).
- Bulls acquire Nic Claxton.
One aspect of the four-team deal wasn’t previously reported: Charlotte acquiring the draft rights to Spagnolo, a 6’6″ Italian guard whom Minnesota selected with the 50th overall pick in 2022 (Twitter link via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer). The 23-year-old spent last season with Baskonia, which struggled during the 2025/26 EuroLeague season but went 25-9 in Spain’s top domestic league (Liga Endesa) before losing in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
Another minor component of the trade was slightly altered so that each club “touches” at least two other teams in the deal. Rather than being traded to Minnesota (from Chicago), Gueye was instead sent to Charlotte, ensuring that the Hornets receive something from a team besides the Wolves. The 28-year-old’s contract is non-guaranteed and he seems unlikely to be part of the Hornets’ plans going forward.
The blockbuster deal was initially reported as two separate agreements but was rolled into one transaction for salary-matching purposes. It couldn’t be finalized until July 9 at the earliest because Gueye didn’t sign with the Bulls until April 9 and had a three-month trade restriction.
Nets general manager Sean Marks was the only team executive who was quoted in the four announcements.
“Julius is an extremely accomplished player who will raise our level of physical toughness and competitiveness,” said Marks in a statement. “His veteran leadership and big game experience will be immensely impactful to our young players as we continue to grow as a team. We’re excited to welcome Julius and his family and look forward to making them part of our Brooklyn community.
“The decision to part with Nic was not an easy one. Over his seven seasons with our team, Nic was an exemplary representative of our organization and the borough of Brooklyn. It’s been rewarding to witness Nic’s growth as both a player and a person throughout his time with the Nets and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future. We are thankful for the impact Nic had here and he’ll always remain part of the Nets family.”
Notably, while the Nets and Bulls were operating under the cap and the Timberwolves had to construct the trade in a way that won’t generate a traded player exception, the Hornets created the largest TPE in NBA history as part of the deal. It’ll be worth roughly $40.77MM, the amount of Ball’s outgoing salary. Charlotte has a year to use it.
We’re tracking all of the 2026 offseason trades right here.
