Hoops Nightly
Desmond Bane
Magic · G · 28
Desmond Bane
vs
2025-26
LaMelo Ball
Timberwolves · G · 25
LaMelo Ball
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

Desmond Bane vs LaMelo Ball

7-8categories
Bane · Ball
Desmond Bane
Bane
Magic
2025-26
Ball
Timberwolves
LaMelo Ball
82
Games
availability
72
33.6
Minutes
per game
28.0
20.1
Points
per game
20.1
4.1
Rebounds
per game
4.8
4.1
Assists
per game
7.1
1.5
Steals + blocks
per game
1.5
2.0
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
2.8
48.4%
Field goal %
40.7%
39.1%
Three-point %
5.2 vs 10.3 attempts
36.8%
90.8%
Free throw %
89.9%
60.7%
True shooting
TS%
54.6%
22.4%
Usage
USG%
30.6%
19.0%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
38.4%
5.9%
Rebound %
of available
8.4%
+2.2
Net rating
on court
+9.1
11.1%
PIE
player impact estimate
13.4%
+1.6
Plus-minus
per game
+5.8
Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

LaMelo Ball scored more in 2025-26, 0.0 points a game apart (20.1 vs 20.1), on Ball's heavier usage (30.6% vs 22.4%).

Bane is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 60.7% to 54.6%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Ball (7.1 vs 4.1 assists), the glass to Ball (4.8 vs 4.1 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Bane played 10 more games (82 vs 72 of 82).

With Ball on the floor his team outscored opponents by +9.1 per 100 possessions, against +2.2 for Bane; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Bane $39.4M through 2028-29, Ball $40.8M through 2028-29. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Bane
2025-26
Ball
45-37
Record when playing
41-31
21.4
Points at home
19.5
18.8
Points on the road
20.6
22.3
Points in wins
20.4
17.4
Points in losses
19.6
37
Season high
38
12
30-point games
9
1
Double-doubles
10

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
Bane · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 vs ATL18 pts · 5 reb · 2 ast
Fri, Oct 16 vs MIA23 pts · 2 reb · 1 ast
Tue, Oct 13 vs CLE8 pts · 2 reb · 3 ast
Sun, Oct 11 at CLE0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Wed, Oct 7 at MEM9 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Ball · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 at MIA21 pts · 2 reb · 6 ast
Fri, Oct 16 at CHI0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Wed, Oct 14 vs DET3 pts · 2 reb · 6 ast
Mon, Oct 12 at NYK10 pts · 3 reb · 7 ast
Wed, Oct 7 at IND14 pts · 4 reb · 7 ast
Bane · contract
2026-27$39.4M
2027-28$42.2M
2028-29$44.9M
Ball · contract
2026-27$40.8M
2027-28$43.6M
2028-29$46.4M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Bane vs
LaMelo Ball · Dillon Brooks · Tyler Herro · Ja Morant
Ball vs
Desmond Bane · Dillon Brooks · Tyler Herro · Ja Morant
Bane vs the top 40 scorers of 2025-26
Luka Doncic · Shai Gilgeous-Alexander · Anthony Edwards · Jaylen Brown · Tyrese Maxey · Kawhi Leonard · Donovan Mitchell · Nikola Jokic · Lauri Markkanen · Stephen Curry · Devin Booker · Jalen Brunson · Kevin Durant · Jamal Murray · Victor Wembanyama · Michael Porter Jr. · Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Cade Cunningham · Keyonte George · James Harden · Austin Reaves · Jalen Johnson · Paolo Banchero · Norman Powell · Brandon Ingram · Trey Murphy III · Julius Randle · Cooper Flagg · Zion Williamson · LeBron James · Nickeil Alexander-Walker · Shaedon Sharpe · Alperen Sengun · Brandon Miller · Dillon Brooks · LaMelo Ball · Bam Adebayo · Karl-Anthony Towns
Ball vs the top 40 scorers of 2025-26
Luka Doncic · Shai Gilgeous-Alexander · Anthony Edwards · Jaylen Brown · Tyrese Maxey · Kawhi Leonard · Donovan Mitchell · Nikola Jokic · Lauri Markkanen · Stephen Curry · Devin Booker · Jalen Brunson · Kevin Durant · Jamal Murray · Victor Wembanyama · Michael Porter Jr. · Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Cade Cunningham · Keyonte George · James Harden · Austin Reaves · Jalen Johnson · Paolo Banchero · Norman Powell · Brandon Ingram · Trey Murphy III · Julius Randle · Cooper Flagg · Zion Williamson · LeBron James · Nickeil Alexander-Walker · Shaedon Sharpe · Alperen Sengun · Brandon Miller · Dillon Brooks · Bam Adebayo · Karl-Anthony Towns · Desmond Bane

Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).