NBA rumors: Raptors were LaMelo Ball’s other top trade suitor before Timberwolves blockbuster

Free agency has yet to hit, but the 2026 NBA offseason has already been filled with big move after big move. A blockbuster trade has come to fruition on a seemingly daily basis during NBA Draft week. The Minnesota Timberwolves kicked off trade season by dumping Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets. Giannis Antetokounmpo was also traded to the Miami Heat in one of the biggest deals of recent memory, and Isaiah Stewart was traded during the draft’s second round. Most recently, the Timberwolves followed up their originally questioned Randle trade by fleecing the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball.

As part of the deal, Minnesota sent Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swap options, and three second-rounders to Charlotte. Josh Green will join Ball in Minnesota. This blockbuster trade comes just hours after Sham Charania originally reported that the Hornets were hearing out offers for their star point guard.

While the Timberwolves were immediately seen as the favorites to land Ball, The Stein Line reported that the Toronto Raptors were also in on the Chino Hills product.

“And now the Charlotte Hornets, league sources tell The Stein Line, are actively fielding trade offers for former All-Star guard LaMelo Ball…with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Toronto Raptors among the teams known to have registered interest in Ball.”

It is unclear what a Raptors trade for Ball would have looked like, but it has to be assumed Immanuel Quickley would have been involved. Quickley has operated as Toronto’s point guard in recent years, but the Raptors could use an upgrade in the backcourt. Ball is one of the best playmakers in the NBA, a highlight facilitator who finds creative ways to get his teammates involved. While sometimes inefficient, the jumbo-sized guard is also an impressive scorer who can get buckets in a variety of ways, most notably from beyond the arc.

The Raptors could use an influx of 3-point shooting that Ball would have provided. His defensive question marks would have also been masked by one of the longest and most defensively sound teams in the NBA. The Timberwolves ultimately beat Toronto to the punch, though, so the Raptors will have to explore other avenues to improve their roster that was just eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

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