The Timberwolves needed a point guard. Badly. Mike Conley walked to Boston in free agency. Donte DiVincenzo’s coming off an Achilles injury with no clear timeline. So Minnesota went out and got LaMelo Ball in a trade that reshuffled the whole roster.
Ball spoke for the first time since the deal went down, and he didn’t hold back about pairing with Anthony Edwards.
“I’ve known Ant for a minute, we’ve been talking,” Ball said. “Everybody’s excited and we’re ready to get to work.”
That’s about as straightforward as it gets. Two young guards who like each other and think they can win together. The Timberwolves hope it’s that simple.
The Backcourt Minnesota Needed
Minnesota finished 49-33 last season and made some noise in the playoffs. They beat Denver in the first round before losing to San Antonio in the conference semis. But the roster had holes. Julius Randle got shipped to Brooklyn in a salary dump. Naz Reid went out as part of the Ball trade too.
The Wolves basically cleared the deck to make room for Ball, who’s been stuck in Charlotte since they drafted him third overall in 2020. This past season he played 72 games, his most since his All-Star year in 2021-22, averaging 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds. He shot 40.7 percent from the field and 36.8 from three, plus 89.9 percent from the line.
Those numbers are solid. But the real question is how Ball’s game fits next to Edwards, who’s already the clear franchise guy. Ball’s always been a score-first point guard with flashy passing and questionable shot selection. Playing off Ant could simplify things for him.
What the Wolves Gave Up
This wasn’t a cheap move. Minnesota lost Conley, DiVincenzo’s future is uncertain, and they dumped Randle just to get the salary numbers to work. The front office clearly decided that a backcourt of Edwards and Ball was worth the risk.
Ball’s still only 23 years old. He’s got three years left on his rookie max extension. If he stays healthy and buys into the system, Minnesota could have one of the most dynamic young backcourts in the Western Conference. But health has always been a thing with him — ankle stuff mostly — and the defense is still a question mark.
For what it’s worth, Ball sounds ready. “We’re excited and we’re ready to get to work,” he said. That’s a good start. The real test starts in October.
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