The Minnesota Timberwolves have been stuck in NBA purgatory for half a decade. Five straight playoff appearances without a single trip past the first round. So this offseason, they did something that looked desperate on paper but might actually be genius.
They traded for LaMelo Ball.
Pairing Ball with Anthony Edwards instantly gives Minnesota one of the most electric and unpredictable backcourts in the league. Both guys came into the NBA together in 2020 as raw, reckless talents with sky-high ceilings. Both have grown up fast. And now they’re sharing a backcourt in a city that hasn’t won a single playoff series since 2004.
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins didn’t wait for the season to start before making his feelings known.
“All of a sudden, you bring back LaMelo with Anthony Edwards. That is the best backcourt in the NBA. I repeat: That is the best f*cking backcourt in the NBA,” Perkins said on a recent broadcast.
Why the Timberwolves Had to Make This Move
Perkins also pointed out that Minnesota didn’t really have a choice. Anthony Edwards is entering his prime and the organization has a long history of wasting lottery picks — Kevin Garnett, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns. None of them got the Wolves past the second round. Edwards is the most talented player they’ve had since KG, and the front office needed to show him they’re serious.
“Minnesota had to make that trade. They had to make that trade. The Minnesota Timberwolves were on the clock when it came down to pleasing Anthony Edwards,” Perkins said.
And the numbers back up the hype. Edwards played 61 games this season because of injuries but still put up career highs across the board: 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals. Ball, meanwhile, stayed on the court for 72 games — his second-most ever — and averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 boards, 7.1 dimes and 1.2 steals while leading the Hornets to their best record in a decade.
Both are 24 years old. Both are still getting better. And together, they have the kind of chemistry that comes from entering the league at the same time and knowing each other’s games.
The Timberwolves have never made the NBA Finals. They’ve only made the conference finals once, back in 2004 when KG was league MVP. That’s a painfully long drought for a franchise with this much talent.
If Perkins is right — if Ball and Edwards truly are the best backcourt in basketball — then this could be the year Minnesota finally breaks through. Or it could be another gamble that doesn’t pan out. Either way, it’s going to be fun to watch.
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