The Timberwolves went all-in on draft night, pairing LaMelo Ball with Anthony Edwards in what could be the most exciting backcourt in the NBA.
The Minnesota Timberwolves went 49-33 this season and made it to the second round of the playoffs before the San Antonio Spurs bounced them in six games.
Changes needed to happen around Anthony Edwards, and Tim Connelly has spent the entire week making them.
On Thursday, the Timberwolves completed a blockbuster trade with the Charlotte Hornets to bring in LaMelo Ball and Josh Green in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks.
Building Around Edwards and Ball
This trade gives Minnesota a backcourt that most teams would dream about.
Edwards put up 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season while shooting 48.9 percent from the field in 61 games, and Ball averaged 20.1 points and 7.1 assists across 72 games in Charlotte while hitting 36.8 percent from three.
The two were the No. 1 and No. 3 picks in the 2020 draft and will now share a backcourt for the first time.
This move came days after the Timberwolves sent Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team deal to shed salary, which opened up room to lock in Ayo Dosunmu on a five-year, $112 million extension.
Between these two deals, Minnesota's roster looks completely different than it did a week ago.
What the Depth Chart Looks Like Now
Minnesota's starting five heading into next season projects to be Ball at point guard, Edwards at shooting guard, Terrence Shannon Jr. or Ayo Dosunmu at small forward, Jaden McDaniels at power forward and Rudy Gobert at center.
Ball, Edwards and McDaniels are all under contract through 2028-29, giving the front office a young core locked in for years.
The biggest loss is Reid, a former Sixth Man of the Year winner whose departure leaves a real gap in the frontcourt.
Donte DiVincenzo is still recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered during the playoffs and Joan Beringer is still unproven, so depth beyond the starters is thin heading into camp.
What Else Could Be Coming
The Ball trade pushes the Timberwolves back over the luxury tax, but Connelly may not be done.
Minnesota has the taxpayer mid-level exception and could target a floor-spacing forward or backup big to replace some of the production Reid provided.
Names like Luke Kennard and Tim Hardaway Jr. have come up as realistic fits who could help with perimeter shooting around Ball and Edwards.
Ball does come with risk given that he played just 105 combined games from 2022-23 through 2024-25 before a healthy 72-game year last season, and defense has never been his strong suit.
But pairing him with Edwards gives Minnesota a real chance at keeping up with the Thunder and Spurs in the West, and that upside was too hard for Connelly to pass up.
