LaMelo Ball Trade Winners & Losers: Timberwolves Championship Odds & Predictions

Let’s break down the LaMelo Ball trade winners and losers now that the Charlotte Hornets have sent the former No. 3 overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Below, I’ll list who stands to gain the most from this trade and who will likely suffer as a consequence. I’ll also take a look at the Timberwolves’ updated championship odds and offer a best bet for those looking to get down early on futures.

📈 Winners of the LaMelo Ball trade

LaMelo Ball

There's no negative way to spin this trade for Ball. Not only does he get to move to a bigger market - I'm sure Puma isn't upset that he'll be playing in more nationally televised games - but he also has a much better shot at winning an NBA championship. The Timberwolves have advanced to at least the second round in each of the last three seasons, including two trips to the conference finals.

Ball will also get to play off the ball more and spot up for more 3-pointers. He ranked 17th among starters with a 30.5% usage rate last season, and that number will almost certainly drop in 2026-27 while playing alongside Anthony Edwards, who ranked 13th at 30.8%.

Anthony Edwards

The Timberwolves' three projected leading scorers next season - Edwards, Ball, and Jaden McDaniels - are all under 26 years old, giving Minnesota a strong young core built around Edwards.

Edwards ranked fourth in the NBA with 6.2 isolation plays per game last season, and having Ball on the floor will discourage opposing teams from double-teaming the four-time All-Star. Ball led the Hornets with 2.0 made 3-pointers per game when wide open (6+ feet) in 2025-26, so it wouldn't be wise for teams to have his defender help off him.

📉 Losers of the LaMelo Ball trade

Kon Knueppel

We saw Hornets guard Kon Knueppel go cold at the end of last season and eventually lose a tight Rookie of the Year race. While his usage rate should increase now that Ball is in Minneapolis, Knueppel will likely struggle to get the same easy looks that Ball created for him. 

Knueppel led the Hornets with 6.1 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game, thanks in part to passes from Ball, who posted a team-high 17.5% adjusted assist-to-pass percentage. With Ball out of town, Knueppel will have to rely on Coby White - the team's next-best distributor at 13.3% - to find him above the break.

Victor Wembanyama

Now, how could this trade possibly affect San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama? Well, when another team in the West gets better, it just makes it harder for Wembanyama to win his first championship. It also doesn't help that the Timberwolves added a player who has excelled against the Spurs' perimeter defenders.

Ball is averaging 23.2 points and 8.1 assists per game in his career against the Spurs. As a 6-foot-7 point guard, he's taller than all of the Spurs' guards, which helps him (a) get his 3-pointers off uncontested and (b) see the floor more easily to rack up assists. The Timberwolves - with an injured Edwards - took the Spurs to six games in the conference semifinals, and the addition of Ball could be just enough to tip the series in Minnesota's favor the next time around.

📊 Minnesota Timberwolves championship odds

NBA odds last updated on June 25.

The Timberwolves' implied probability of winning the championship this upcoming season was as low as 3.23% before the trade (+3000). After adding Ball, their implied probability has jumped to 4.35% (+2200) at most sportsbooks, giving them the sixth-shortest odds to win the title. The move also gives them the third-shortest odds in the West, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (+250 to +260, depending on the book) and the Spurs (+260 across the board).

💰 Minnesota Timberwolves futures prediction

Minnesota Timberwolves best bet

The Timberwolves are lined at 50.5 wins this upcoming season, which feels slightly too low. They won 49 games in 2025-26, and a combination of factors should be worth at least two additional wins.

Not only did they add Ball, but Edwards, McDaniels, and Ayo Dosunmu are all 26 or younger, so it's reasonable to assume that at least two of them will improve this season. Losing Naz Reid is obviously a negative, but sending Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets should make the offense more dynamic with fewer ball-stoppers on the floor.

Best bet: Timberwolves Over 50.5 wins (-110 via DraftKings)