Hoops Nightly
LaMelo Ball
Timberwolves · G · 25
LaMelo Ball
vs
2025-26
17
Nets · F · 28
Michael Porter Jr.
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

LaMelo Ball vs Michael Porter Jr.

9-8categories
Ball · Porter Jr.
LaMelo Ball
Ball
Timberwolves
2025-26
Porter Jr.
Nets
17
72
Games
availability
52
28.0
Minutes
per game
32.5
20.1
Points
per game
24.2
4.8
Rebounds
per game
7.1
7.1
Assists
per game
3.0
1.5
Steals + blocks
per game
1.4
2.8
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
2.3
40.7%
Field goal %
46.3%
36.8%
Three-point %
10.3 vs 9.3 attempts
36.3%
89.9%
Free throw %
85.9%
54.6%
True shooting
TS%
59.5%
30.6%
Usage
USG%
29.2%
38.4%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
16.5%
8.4%
Rebound %
of available
11.0%
+9.1
Net rating
on court
-6.6
13.4%
PIE
player impact estimate
14.1%
+5.8
Plus-minus
per game
-3.9
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

Michael Porter Jr. scored more in 2025-26, 4.1 points a game apart (24.2 vs 20.1), on Ball's heavier usage (30.6% vs 29.2%).

Porter Jr. is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 59.5% 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 3.0 assists), the glass to Porter Jr. (7.1 vs 4.8 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: Ball played 20 more games (72 vs 52 of 82).

With Ball on the floor his team outscored opponents by +9.1 per 100 possessions, against -6.6 for Porter Jr.; 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, Porter Jr. $40.8M through 2026-27. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Ball
2025-26
Porter Jr.
41-31
Record when playing
14-38
19.5
Points at home
25.2
20.6
Points on the road
23.3
20.4
Points in wins
28.5
19.6
Points in losses
22.6
38
Season high
38
9
30-point games
14
10
Double-doubles
12

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
Porter Jr. · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 vs CHA26 pts · 7 reb · 1 ast
Wed, Oct 14 at MIA27 pts · 1 reb · 1 ast
Mon, Oct 12 at WAS22 pts · 4 reb · 0 ast
Tue, Oct 6 at CHA16 pts · 5 reb · 2 ast
Tue, Mar 10 vs DET19 pts · 2 reb · 1 ast
Ball · contract
2026-27$40.8M
2027-28$43.6M
2028-29$46.4M
Porter Jr. · contract
2026-27$40.8M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Ball vs
Desmond Bane · Dillon Brooks · Tyler Herro · Ja Morant
Porter Jr. vs
Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Victor Wembanyama · Jalen Johnson
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
Porter Jr. 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 · 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).