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LaMelo Ball
Timberwolves · G · 25
LaMelo Ball
vs
2025-26
Luka Dončić
Lakers · F-G · 27
Luka Dončić
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

LaMelo Ball vs Luka Dončić

6-11categories
Ball · Dončić
BallDončić
72Games
availability
64
28.0Minutes
per game
35.8
20.1Points
per game
33.5
4.8Rebounds
per game
7.7
7.1Assists
per game
8.3
1.5Steals + blocks
per game
2.1
2.8Turnovers
per game · lower is better
4.0
40.7%Field goal %47.6%
36.8%Three-point %
10.3 vs 10.8 attempts
36.6%
89.9%Free throw %78.0%
54.6%True shooting
TS%
61.6%
30.6%Usage
USG%
36.8%
38.4%Assist %
of teammates' baskets
38.7%
8.4%Rebound %
of available
11.0%
+9.1Net rating
on court
+3.8
13.4%PIE
player impact estimate
18.8%
+5.8Plus-minus
per game
+2.9

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Luka Dončić scored more in 2025-26, 13.4 points a game apart (33.5 vs 20.1), on Dončić's heavier usage (36.8% vs 30.6%).

Dončić is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 61.6% to 54.6%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Dončić (8.3 vs 7.1 assists), the glass to Dončić (7.7 vs 4.8 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Ball played 8 more games (72 vs 64 of 82).

With Ball on the floor his team outscored opponents by +9.1 per 100 possessions, against +3.8 for Dončić; 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, Dončić $49.8M through 2028-29. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
BallDončić
41-31Record when playing43-21
19.5Points at home33.6
20.6Points on the road33.3
20.4Points in wins35.5
19.6Points in losses29.4
38Season high60
930-point games44
10Double-doubles34
Ball · last 5
Sun, Apr 12 at NYK19 pts · 7 reb · 6 ast
Fri, Apr 10 vs DET27 pts · 5 reb · 8 ast
Tue, Apr 7 at BOS36 pts · 5 reb · 6 ast
Sun, Apr 5 at MIN35 pts · 3 reb · 8 ast
Fri, Apr 3 vs IND18 pts · 6 reb · 9 ast
Dončić · last 5
Thu, Apr 2 at OKC12 pts · 4 reb · 7 ast
Tue, Mar 31 vs CLE42 pts · 5 reb · 12 ast
Fri, Mar 27 vs BKN41 pts · 8 reb · 3 ast
Wed, Mar 25 at IND43 pts · 6 reb · 7 ast
Mon, Mar 23 at DET32 pts · 7 reb · 6 ast
Ball · contract
2026-27$40.8M
2027-28$43.6M
2028-29$46.4M
Dončić · contract
2026-27$49.8M
2027-28$53.8M
2028-29player option$57.8M

More comparisons

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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).