Hoops Nightly
LaMelo Ball
Timberwolves · G · 25
LaMelo Ball
vs
2025-26
23
Jazz · F-C · 29
Lauri Markkanen
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

LaMelo Ball vs Lauri Markkanen

8-8categories
Ball · Markkanen
LaMelo Ball
Ball
Timberwolves
2025-26
Markkanen
Jazz
23
72
Games
availability
42
28.0
Minutes
per game
34.3
20.1
Points
per game
26.7
4.8
Rebounds
per game
6.9
7.1
Assists
per game
2.1
1.5
Steals + blocks
per game
1.5
2.8
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
1.5
40.7%
Field goal %
47.7%
36.8%
Three-point %
10.3 vs 7.7 attempts
35.5%
89.9%
Free throw %
89.6%
54.6%
True shooting
TS%
60.8%
30.6%
Usage
USG%
26.9%
38.4%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
10.1%
8.4%
Rebound %
of available
9.4%
+9.1
Net rating
on court
-1.5
13.4%
PIE
player impact estimate
13.9%
+5.8
Plus-minus
per game
-1.3
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

Lauri Markkanen scored more in 2025-26, 6.6 points a game apart (26.7 vs 20.1), on Ball's heavier usage (30.6% vs 26.9%).

Markkanen is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 60.8% 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 2.1 assists), the glass to Markkanen (6.9 vs 4.8 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Ball played 30 more games (72 vs 42 of 82).

With Ball on the floor his team outscored opponents by +9.1 per 100 possessions, against -1.5 for Markkanen; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Ball $40.8M through 2028-29, Markkanen $46.1M through 2028-29. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Ball
2025-26
Markkanen
41-31
Record when playing
17-25
19.5
Points at home
28.1
20.6
Points on the road
25.6
20.4
Points in wins
29.5
19.6
Points in losses
24.8
38
Season high
51
9
30-point games
13
10
Double-doubles
5

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →
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
Markkanen · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 at MEM18 pts · 9 reb · 3 ast
Fri, Oct 16 at PHX19 pts · 5 reb · 1 ast
Mon, Oct 12 vs SAS11 pts · 1 reb · 2 ast
Tue, Oct 6 vs DEN0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast
Sun, Oct 4 at DEN17 pts · 2 reb · 0 ast
Ball · contract
2026-27$40.8M
2027-28$43.6M
2028-29$46.4M
Markkanen · contract
2026-27$46.1M
2027-28$49.8M
2028-29$53.5M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Ball vs
Desmond Bane · Dillon Brooks · Tyler Herro · Ja Morant
Markkanen vs
Kevin Durant · Giannis Antetokounmpo · Kawhi Leonard · Victor Wembanyama
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
Markkanen 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 · 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 · 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).