Hoops Nightly
LaMelo Ball
Timberwolves · G · 25
LaMelo Ball
vs
2025-26
Paolo Banchero
Magic · F · 23
Paolo Banchero
Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

LaMelo Ball vs Paolo Banchero

9-7categories
Ball · Banchero
LaMelo Ball
Ball
Timberwolves
2025-26
Banchero
Magic
Paolo Banchero
72
Games
availability
72
28.0
Minutes
per game
34.7
20.1
Points
per game
22.2
4.8
Rebounds
per game
8.4
7.1
Assists
per game
5.2
1.5
Steals + blocks
per game
1.3
2.8
Turnovers
per game · lower is better
3.1
40.7%
Field goal %
45.9%
36.8%
Three-point %
10.3 vs 3.8 attempts
30.5%
89.9%
Free throw %
77.5%
54.6%
True shooting
TS%
56.6%
30.6%
Usage
USG%
27.4%
38.4%
Assist %
of teammates' baskets
23.5%
8.4%
Rebound %
of available
11.9%
+9.1
Net rating
on court
-0.2
13.4%
PIE
player impact estimate
13.8%
+5.8
Plus-minus
per game
0.0
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

Paolo Banchero scored more in 2025-26, 2.1 points a game apart (22.2 vs 20.1), on Ball's heavier usage (30.6% vs 27.4%).

Banchero is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 56.6% 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 5.2 assists), the glass to Banchero (8.4 vs 4.8 rebounds).

With Ball on the floor his team outscored opponents by +9.1 per 100 possessions, against -0.2 for Banchero; 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, Banchero $41.5M through 2030-31. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs
Ball
2025-26
Banchero
41-31
Record when playing
38-34
19.5
Points at home
21.5
20.6
Points on the road
22.9
20.4
Points in wins
22.3
19.6
Points in losses
22.1
38
Season high
39
9
30-point games
14
10
Double-doubles
26

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
Banchero · last 5
Wed, Oct 21 vs ATL35 pts · 7 reb · 10 ast
Fri, Oct 16 vs MIA24 pts · 7 reb · 4 ast
Tue, Oct 13 vs CLE24 pts · 8 reb · 3 ast
Sun, Oct 11 at CLE10 pts · 7 reb · 2 ast
Wed, Oct 7 at MEM11 pts · 1 reb · 5 ast
Ball · contract
2026-27$40.8M
2027-28$43.6M
2028-29$46.4M
Banchero · contract
2026-27$41.5M
2027-28$44.8M
2028-29$48.1M
2029-30$51.5M
2030-31player option$54.8M

More comparisons

pick any two players →
Ball vs
Desmond Bane · Dillon Brooks · Tyler Herro · Ja Morant
Banchero vs
Jalen Johnson · Trey Murphy III · Brandon Ingram · Julius Randle
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
Banchero 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 · 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).