The Minnesota Timberwolves swung big this summer, and their swing was for LaMelo Ball. The 6-foot-7 point guard was shipped from the Charlotte Hornets to Minnesota in a trade that gives the Wolves one of the most creative offensive engines in basketball and gives the Hornets a full-scale rebuild.
The upside is easy to see. Ball is a legitimate All-Star when healthy. He passes like a magician, shoots the three at high volume, and has the size to defend two positions. Alongside Anthony Edwards, he gives Minnesota one of the most dynamic backcourt duos in the league.
The problems are just as easy to see. Ball has played only 22, 36, and 47 games in his last three seasons. His ankles have been a nightmare, and there is no realistic scenario where Minnesota gets 82 games of LaMelo. The question is whether they can get 60.
The fit next to Edwards is also going to take some work. Both players want to have the ball in their hands. Both players want the last shot. Head coach Chris Finch is going to have to figure out how to structure possessions so that both stars are getting the touches they need without stepping on each other.
Rudy Gobert is still in the middle, and his presence complicates the spacing. Ball is used to playing in wide-open lineups that let him drive without traffic. Minnesota does not play that way. Gobert lives in the paint, and defenses will sag off him in critical moments to clog the driving lanes.
The bet is that Ball’s shooting and vision unlock enough scoring that the spacing issue becomes secondary. If teams have to close out hard on Ball beyond the three-point line, Edwards gets more one-on-one attacking room. Karl-Anthony Towns is gone, but Naz Reid can space the floor as a stretch big.
The West is not getting easier. The Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, and Rockets all have real teams. Minnesota needs to make a big leap just to stay in the top four seeds, and Ball is the answer to that question if he stays healthy.
The contract situation is interesting. Ball is signed through 2028 on a big deal. If this fit works, Minnesota has a long-term core of Ball, Edwards, and a rotating cast. If it does not, they will be trying to move his contract in a couple of years, and that will not be easy.
Tim Connelly, who took the same aggressive approach to build the Nuggets into a title team, is now doing the same thing in Minnesota. This is his signature move. Either it becomes his crowning achievement or the reason his job gets uncomfortable.
The Timberwolves are all in. There is no going back.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
