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LaMelo Ball
Timberwolves · G · 25
LaMelo Ball
vs
2025-26
Nikola Jokić
Nuggets · C · 31
Nikola Jokić
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

LaMelo Ball vs Nikola Jokić

4-13categories
Ball · Jokić
BallJokić
72Games
availability
65
28.0Minutes
per game
34.8
20.1Points
per game
27.7
4.8Rebounds
per game
12.9
7.1Assists
per game
10.7
1.5Steals + blocks
per game
2.2
2.8Turnovers
per game · lower is better
3.7
40.7%Field goal %56.9%
36.8%Three-point %
10.3 vs 4.5 attempts
38.0%
89.9%Free throw %83.1%
54.6%True shooting
TS%
67.0%
30.6%Usage
USG%
28.9%
38.4%Assist %
of teammates' baskets
45.8%
8.4%Rebound %
of available
18.5%
+9.1Net rating
on court
+10.8
13.4%PIE
player impact estimate
21.3%
+5.8Plus-minus
per game
+8.5

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Nikola Jokić scored more in 2025-26, 7.6 points a game apart (27.7 vs 20.1), on Ball's heavier usage (30.6% vs 28.9%).

Jokić is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 67.0% to 54.6%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to Jokić (10.7 vs 7.1 assists), the glass to Jokić (12.9 vs 4.8 rebounds).

With Jokić on the floor his team outscored opponents by +10.8 per 100 possessions, against +9.1 for Ball; 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, Jokić $59.0M through 2027-28. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
BallJokić
41-31Record when playing43-22
19.5Points at home27.6
20.6Points on the road27.8
20.4Points in wins27.6
19.6Points in losses27.8
38Season high56
930-point games25
10Double-doubles55
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
Jokić · last 5
Thu, Apr 30 at MIN28 pts · 9 reb · 10 ast
Mon, Apr 27 vs MIN27 pts · 12 reb · 16 ast
Sat, Apr 25 at MIN24 pts · 15 reb · 9 ast
Thu, Apr 23 at MIN27 pts · 15 reb · 3 ast
Mon, Apr 20 vs MIN24 pts · 15 reb · 8 ast
Ball · contract
2026-27$40.8M
2027-28$43.6M
2028-29$46.4M
Jokić · contract
2026-27$59.0M
2027-28player option$62.8M

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).