Charlotte Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson said the franchise’s decision to trade LaMelo Ball was made with a long-term mentality.
The goal, short-sighted and shocking as it may appear to some in Charlotte, is to compete for titles, Peterson said.
“These decisions are challenging at times, but when you look at the totality of the season and everything of where we were, it’s important to take an honest look in the mirror of where you guys are as a team,” Peterson told reporters at the Las Vegas summer league on Saturday.
The comments come three months removed from a 44-38 season and a play-In appearance in the Hornets’ best season in a decade.
“And it just felt like the goal is never to compete for a play-in spot. The goal isn’t to get to the play-in or even the playoffs for one year,” Peterson said. “I’ve said it plenty of times since I’ve been here in Charlotte: The goal is to get to the playoffs and stay there for a long time. And eventually contend to compete for championships. Getting Naz Reid when you can get a player of his caliber. And of course, the draft capital and the flexibility just felt like it was something that was able to achieve multiple goals in one transaction.”
Peterson was hired as president of basketball operations for the Hornets in March 2024 after a five-year stint as the assistant GM of the Nets, which followed a six-year front office run with the Hawks, where he held roles as assistant GM and director of scouting, among others.
Peterson executed two sizeable deals for Charlotte this season, which notably had the No. 1 net rating in the NBA for about the last four months of the regular season and ended their 2025-26 run with a 28-10 record.
The blockbuster deal sent Ball and Josh Green to the Timberwolves in exchange for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three future first-round pick swaps and three second-round selections.
It ended Ball’s six-year run in Charlotte after he was selected No. 3 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft and developed into the franchise’s centerpiece.
Peterson acknowledged the move was not easy.
“It’s my job to not just look at half of last season or two-thirds of last season,” Peterson said when asked what he saw in the second-half surge that led him to consider trading Ball. “I’ve been here for a little bit over two years now. So, looking at the totality of the picture and also looking at trends along the league. Just making an objective decision in terms of just the timing and being honest with myself of where we really are as it compares to the rest of the league.”
Ball, who turns 25 in August, has yet to play a playoff game in his career, but was acquired by the contending T-Wolves in an effort to shake up their roster around Anthony Edwards.
“I’ll say it every day: LaMelo was tremendous in our run last year,” Peterson acknowledged. “He was extremely impactful and I know he’s going to do great in Minnesota. But for the Charlotte Hornets, just felt like it was the right time to execute a trade of that magnitude. We’re in a great position because of the talent, the depth of our roster and our flexibility.”
Even though Ball never made the postseason with Charlotte, and didn’t play well overall in their three play-In appearances during his six seasons, he rose to become one of the most popular stars in the NBA with younger fans, even despite a career marred by injuries.
Ball’s 72 games played last season — where he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, while earning some consideration for All-Star and All-NBA — were the second most in his career, and only his second time playing over 51 games.
Leading up to the 2025-26 campaign, Ball had played 105 out of a possible 246 games across three seasons.
“I do empathize with the fans and I understand just where they’re coming from,” Peterson said when asked for a message to Hornets fans. “If I’m honest, I love LaMelo. He’s a tremendous human being. Of course, he’s an enormous talent. He and I have a great relationship.
“But I would hope that they understand that I have the best interest of the Hornets organization. I truly do. And it’s not about one year or two years. It’s about sustained success and just being objective of where we truly are in our life cycle. I have no doubt that this team we roll out next year and the years to come is going to continue to compete and eventually we’ll get there.”
The Hornets have since doubled down on that direction by also trading Miles Bridges to Phoenix for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and a future first, signaling the organization is officially moving on from the Ball-Bridges era that defined much of the past six seasons.
Charlotte now appears committed to building around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, while adding Naz Reid, re-signing Coby White for three years and $74 million, and adding a growing collection of future draft assets.
Charlotte has the second-most first-round picks in the NBA moving forward.
