The Minnesota Timberwolves went into the offseason with a plan to revamp their roster after their weaknesses were on display in the second round against the San Antonio Spurs.

The six-game series exposed the need for a true second star and creator next to Anthony Edwards after Julius Randle was invisible for the series, failing to step up and getting bottled up by the Spurs’ defense.

The Wolves moved quickly to trade Randle in a salary dump, and then use Naz Reid and draft picks to acquire LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets.

While Ball ended up in Minnesota, the Timberwolves were targeting another star to potentially pair with Edwards.

According to ESPN’s Sham Charania, the Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons tried to trade for Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard and were willing to offer him a contract extension, but Kawhi felt it was better for his legacy if he went back to the Toronto Raptors.

The Clippers underwent big changes last season in trading James Harden and Ivica Zubac, signaling that the Kawhi era might be coming to an end as they were no longer chasing stars to play alongside Kawhi.

Kawhi left the Raptors after winning a championship with them in 2019 to join the Clippers, and his tenure was less than fruitful, ending with no Finals appearance, no playoff appearance in his final season, and salary cap circumvention allegations that cost the team five first-round picks.

Despite the off-court drama that had followed Kawhi throughout his Clippers tenure, he was productive throughout his run, especially in the final season where he played 65 games and averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists.

There is no doubt that Kawhi would’ve been an upgrade in what the Timberwolves were looking for after last season’s playoff failure, and Minnesota likely would’ve given up a similar package they used to obtain LaMelo.

While Kawhi has his strengths and would’ve been a good fit alongside LaMelo, he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning, while LaMelo is on the same timeline as Edwards and Jaden McDaniels.

Kawhi also plays a slower and more methodical game, while LaMelo should add an uptempo pace to a Timberwolves team that seems ready to run.

On the whole, Kawhi is a better player than LaMelo, but for this Minnesota team, now and in the future, LaMelo may prove to be the correct move.