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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
BallBanchero
72Games
availability
72
28.0Minutes
per game
34.7
20.1Points
per game
22.2
4.8Rebounds
per game
8.4
7.1Assists
per game
5.2
1.5Steals + blocks
per game
1.3
2.8Turnovers
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%
+9.1Net rating
on court
-0.2
13.4%PIE
player impact estimate
13.8%
+5.8Plus-minus
per game
0.0

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
BallBanchero
41-31Record when playing38-34
19.5Points at home21.5
20.6Points on the road22.9
20.4Points in wins22.3
19.6Points in losses22.1
38Season high39
930-point games14
10Double-doubles26
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
Banchero · last 5
Sun, May 3 at DET38 pts · 9 reb · 6 ast
Fri, May 1 vs DET17 pts · 10 reb · 6 ast
Wed, Apr 29 at DET45 pts · 9 reb · 7 ast
Mon, Apr 27 vs DET18 pts · 8 reb · 4 ast
Sat, Apr 25 vs DET25 pts · 12 reb · 9 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

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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).