{"id":2011017,"date":"2026-06-25T20:16:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T17:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2011017"},"modified":"2026-06-25T20:16:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T17:16:04","slug":"how-the-timberwolves-hornets-blockbuster-will-be-remembered-in-two-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2011017","title":{"rendered":"How the Timberwolves-Hornets blockbuster will be remembered in two years"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has made some of the NBA\u2019s most interesting trades.<\/p>\n<p>He gave up a ton for Rudy Gobert in a deal that initially seemed like an overpayment but ultimately set up the Timberwolves for back-to-back conference finals. He then moved Karl-Anthony Towns after one of those conference finals appearances. And on Thursday, he moved away from the Timberwolves\u2019 bet on size, moving Naz Reid as part of a blockbuster trade package for LaMelo Ball and giving Anthony Edwards an All-Star running mate in the backcourt.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This trade is fascinating from all angles. <i>The Athletic<\/i>\u2019s Eric Koreen, Law Murray and Eric Nehm got together to discuss the ins and outs of the deal.<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"mvp9hTPWu3XYqRB\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">How did the Timberwolves land LaMelo Ball?<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Authors__jxyYV\">Jon Krawczynski<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/mvp9hTPWu3XYqRB\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/mvp9hTPWu3XYqRB\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;How did the Timberwolves land LaMelo Ball?&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;Jon Krawcynski explains how the LaMelo Ball trade happened and why it took the Timberwolves two years to acquire him. &#8220;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-06-25T16:29:45.489Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT1M14S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/mvp9hTPWu3XYqRB\/I7mcarA9ZK0Z.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/mvp9hTPWu3XYqRB\/I7mcarA9ZK0Z\/I7mcarA9ZK0Z.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;transcript&#8221;:&#8221;The Minnesota Timberwolves knew they had to make big changes to the roster if they were going to stay competitive in the Western Conference as Anthony Edwards approaches his prime. Well, adding LaMelo Ball at point guard is a big change. President of basketball operations Tim Connolly and head coach Chris Finch have been chasing LaMelo Ball for 2 years now, trying to get him to pair up with Edwards. They believe Ball&#8217;s combination of shoe. In passing, and dynamic transition play will make Edwards take another step up that MVP ladder and also unlock more offense from Jaden McDaniels and from Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves checked in with the Hornets from time to time over the last couple of years, trying to pry them out of Charlotte, but each time were turned away. After the draft on Wednesday night, word started to Spread around the league that the opponents were open to taking offers and Tim Connolly pounced. He put Naz Reid, an incredibly popular player in Minnesota, into the deal along with some draft pick compensation. And now they have their point guard of the future. It&#8217;s LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards in the backcourt in Minnesota, one of the most dynamic backcourts in the entire league.&#8221;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Jon Krawczynski&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"none\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><b>Which side of this trade do you find more interesting?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Koreen:<\/b> In NBA circles, you hear a lot of people talk about the concept of \u201cselling high\u201d \u2014 hi, Daryl Morey! However, you very rarely see it done with a player of Ball\u2019s magnitude.<\/p>\n<p>Charlotte finally got something going last year. While there were many reasons for that, including great seasons from rookie Kon Knueppel and third-year wing Brandon Miller, it was Ball who was the biggest driver of the offense. The Charlotte Hornets were 12.6 points per 100 possessions better on that end with Ball on the floor, representing the biggest gap on the team. When he was on the floor, the Hornets had the equivalent of the best attack in the league; without him, they were the equivalent of the 26th-ranked offense.<\/p>\n<p>But Ball has had injury problems, looked unserious earlier in his career and had off-court issues. I find the Hornets moving him at this stage fascinating.<\/p>\n<p><b>Murray:<\/b> I\u2019m more interested in the team that has actual expectations. The Timberwolves are relevant in their conference, unlike the Hornets. They have made some loud trades since Anthony Edwards joined the team: acquiring Rudy Gobert, trading Karl-Anthony Towns, then trading Julius Randle. Now, they are acquiring LaMelo Ball, the player who won Rookie of the Year over Edwards and became an All-Star before Edwards. It\u2019s really about to be Leo SZN in Minnesota, one of only two teams to win a playoff series in the West three straight seasons.<\/p>\n<p><b>Nehm:<\/b> As someone who just lived through eight seasons of \u201cWill they? Won\u2019t they?\u201d extension and trade drama with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, I was fully prepared for that same storyline to unfold in Minnesota with Edwards. Our guy Jon Krawczynski <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7388539\/2026\/06\/24\/anthony-edwards-timberwolves-nba-trade-rumors\/\">even wrote about it on Wednesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In Milwaukee, when that noise was starting to bubble up because Antetokounmpo was getting close to an extension window, Bucks GM Jon Horst made a trade to show him how serious they were about winning. First, he traded for Jrue Holiday. Then, he traded for Damian Lillard. Both were veteran point guards who were older than Antetokounmpo.<\/p>\n<p>The crazy thing about Ball, however, is that he has already been in the league for six seasons, yet he\u2019ll still only be just 25 years old next season. The same is true of Edwards. If the pairing works and they play well off each other, this pairing could age together and be Minnesota\u2019s duo moving forward through multiple extensions.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 0.01px;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 3;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-imperial;<br \/>\n    font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 400;<br \/>\n    line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/<br \/>\n    color: #323232;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 4;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 12px;<br \/>\n      line-height: 121%;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>.showcase-link-inputs {<br \/>\n  .showcase-link-input {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    font-size: 1rem;<br \/>\n    background-color: white;<br \/>\n    margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-indent {<br \/>\n    margin-left: 25px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  option {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {<br \/>\n  .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n    background-color: #121212;<br \/>\n    color: #f0f0ee;<br \/>\n    .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n      color: #c4c4c0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>            \/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click<br \/>\n            document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.showcase-link-image&#8217;).forEach((img) =&gt; img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7392552\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7392552\/2026\/06\/25\/lamelo-ball-traded-timberwolves-hornets\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7392552\" data-content-post-type=\"headline\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/06\/24232813\/GettyImages-2271377466-scaled-e1782358256664-1024x683.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"LaMelo Ball traded in NBA blockbuster: Why Timberwolves, Hornets made this move\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  LaMelo Ball traded in NBA blockbuster: Why Timberwolves, Hornets made this move\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  Minnesota traded Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks to land the Hornets star.\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h3><b>How would you rate Ball\u2019s fit next to Anthony Edwards?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Koreen:<\/b> I love the on-court idea of it. While I\u2019m glad to have the ball in Edwards\u2019 hands at the end of games, I think the lack of top-shelf perimeter help throughout a game wore him down this season. It was too much of a burden. Edwards\u2019 offensive package is excellent, but getting him some easier looks will do him good.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, putting Ball next to Edwards \u2014 and more importantly, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert \u2014 should allow him to use his length to be more disruptive defensively, with the Wolves having enough of a foundation to make up for some gambles. I have long-term questions about the trade, but I like the immediate fit.<\/p>\n<p><b>Murray: <\/b>Edwards has had to operate like a primary playmaker in recent seasons, even though he\u2019s nominally a shooting guard. Not only that, but Randle\u2019s presence meant he soaked up the touches Edwards wasn\u2019t getting. The point guard situation in Minnesota was already looking bleak, and that became the case once starting \u201cpoint guard\u201d Donte DiVincenzo went down with a torn Achilles. I look at Ball\u2019s addition the way that D\u2019Angelo Russell was used in Minnesota with Chris Finch. Ball is going to be the primary playmaker. But this isn\u2019t 20-year-old Edwards teaming up with Ball the way Russell was. This is the best shooting guard in the league, and Ball should help make Edwards even more efficient than he has been during Edwards\u2019 ascent to All-NBA status.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid3\" data-position=\"mid3\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><b>Nehm:<\/b> I worry a little bit about how ball-dominant both players can be and I have watched how difficult it can be for a team to put together two heliocentric offensive talents. But I thought Ball showed more restraint this past season in Charlotte when surrounded with a more talented group. He played well with Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel and his passing helped amplify that group\u2019s talent.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, I thought there were moments in Minnesota, especially in the playoffs, where the Timberwolves were just forced to ask way too much out of Edwards. He is a spectacular offensive player, but it is tough when there aren\u2019t quite enough other creators on the squad. Having Ball shoulder the burden in the biggest moments should be a welcome change for Edwards.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inline-graphic\">\n<p>        a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n  display: flex;<br \/>\n  gap: 20px;<br \/>\n  flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n  align-items: center;<br \/>\n  padding: 20px 0px;<br \/>\n  border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);<br \/>\n  text-decoration: none;<br \/>\n  color: #121212;<br \/>\n  cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-franklin;<br \/>\n    font-size: 14px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 700;<br \/>\n    line-height: 13.8px;<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 1.1px;<br \/>\n    text-transform: uppercase;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-image {<br \/>\n    border-radius: 8px;<br \/>\n    object-fit: cover;<br \/>\n    width: 200px;<br \/>\n    height: 150px;<br \/>\n    margin: 0px;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      width: 120px;<br \/>\n      height: 120px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-inner-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: row;<br \/>\n    gap: 16px;<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-text-content {<br \/>\n    display: flex;<br \/>\n    flex-direction: column;<br \/>\n    gap: 20px;<br \/>\n    justify-content: center;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      gap: 8px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-title {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-cheltenham;<br \/>\n    font-size: 24px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 500;<br \/>\n    line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/<br \/>\n    letter-spacing: 0.01px;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 3;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n    font-family: nyt-imperial;<br \/>\n    font-size: 16px;<br \/>\n    font-style: normal;<br \/>\n    font-weight: 400;<br \/>\n    line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/<br \/>\n    color: #323232;<br \/>\n    text-overflow: ellipsis;<br \/>\n    overflow: hidden;<br \/>\n    display: -webkit-box;<br \/>\n    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;<br \/>\n    -webkit-line-clamp: 4;<br \/>\n    @media (max-width: 600px) {<br \/>\n      font-size: 12px;<br \/>\n      line-height: 121%;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>.showcase-link-inputs {<br \/>\n  .showcase-link-input {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n    font-size: 1rem;<br \/>\n    background-color: white;<br \/>\n    margin-bottom: 12px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  .showcase-link-indent {<br \/>\n    margin-left: 25px;<br \/>\n  }<\/p>\n<p>  option {<br \/>\n    width: 100%;<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {<br \/>\n  .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {<br \/>\n    background-color: #121212;<br \/>\n    color: #f0f0ee;<br \/>\n    .showcase-link-excerpt {<br \/>\n      color: #c4c4c0;<br \/>\n    }<br \/>\n  }<br \/>\n}<\/p>\n<p>            \/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click<br \/>\n            document.querySelectorAll(&#8216;.showcase-link-image&#8217;).forEach((img) =&gt; img.removeAttribute(&#8216;onclick&#8217;));<\/p>\n<p>        <a id=\"showcase-link-7393784\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7393784\/2026\/06\/25\/lamelo-ball-trade-grades-hornets-timberwolves-naz-reid\/\" class=\"showcase-link-container in-content-module-link testbed-shortcode\" data-shortcode-id=\"101\" data-shortcode-string=\"showcase-link\" data-content-id=\"7393784\" data-content-post-type=\"article\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link\">What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-inner-content\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/06\/25113407\/GettyImages-2203527753-1024x683.jpg?width=400&amp;quality=70\" alt=\"LaMelo Ball trade grades: What are the Timberwolves and Hornets doing?\" class=\"showcase-link-image\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-text-content\">\n<div class=\"showcase-link-title\">\n                  LaMelo Ball trade grades: What are the Timberwolves and Hornets doing?\n              <\/div>\n<div class=\"showcase-link-excerpt\">\n                  After their most successful season in a decade, the Hornets are pivoting hard. And it may be the right move. Meanwhile, Minnesota&#8230;\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h3><b>After a playoffs that seemed to indicate that size was becoming more important again, the Timberwolves have now moved Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Do you think they have overcorrected?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Koreen:<\/b> Herein lies the problem for me. I think the importance of loading up on bigs to deal with Victor Wembanyama might be a touch overstated \u2014 we always overreact to what we just saw \u2014 but the Wolves have no proven bigs behind Gobert now.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sure we will see a lot of lineups with McDaniels as the \u201cpower forward.\u201d That\u2019s fine for the regular season, but maybe less so for the playoffs. Do the Wolves think Joan Beringer is ready for 15 to 20 minutes per night? They\u2019ll have limited avenues to improve their frontcourt depth after paying Ayo Dosunmu as much as they did. Can they move a promising guard, such as Terrence Shannon Jr., for a young big in the type of need-for-need trade we rarely see?<\/p>\n<p>I get why they did this, but if I were the Wolves, I\u2019d be worried about the roster imbalance.<\/p>\n<p><b>Murray<\/b>: Last time I checked, Rudy Gobert was still on the team. And Minnesota needs to see what it has in Joan Beringer, who could be Gobert\u2019s successor in the near future. The Timberwolves certainly need to add power forwards, though. Jaden McDaniels is still listed at 185 pounds, for crying out loud, and he plays like it. Keep him on the perimeter. Size has always been important. The playoffs showed that skill is important,too. The Timberwolves have holes, but I don\u2019t look at this as an overcorrection.<\/p>\n<p id=\"article-pickem\">\n<p><b>Nehm:<\/b> I\u2019m fascinated to see what they do to fill out the rest of the roster. I think Rudy Gobert is a spectacular defensive player and has gotten underrated over the years, but there is just no help there for him. Wembanyama and the Spurs aren\u2019t going anywhere, and the Timberwolves just traded away two of the guys (Julius Randle and Naz Reid) who took turns serving as the primary defender against Wemby this postseason. So, what are the Timberwolves going to do to get the heft necessary to stand up to a player like Wembanyama and also get through an NBA season with enough size on their roster?<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"eI8g1cTJNFyFPvo\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">The risk behind trading for LaMelo Ball<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Authors__jxyYV\">Esfandiar Baraheni<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/eI8g1cTJNFyFPvo\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/eI8g1cTJNFyFPvo\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The risk behind trading for LaMelo Ball&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;Esfandiar Baraheni breaks down the trade the sends LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. &#8220;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-06-25T19:27:17.008Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT2M34S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/eI8g1cTJNFyFPvo\/eEnfzgHVQTF9.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/eI8g1cTJNFyFPvo\/eEnfzgHVQTF9\/eEnfzgHVQTF9.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;transcript&#8221;:&#8221;Lamelo Ball has been traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but did you notice just how much of a risk this move is? The Timberwolves have never been afraid to make a trade. Under the current president, Tim Connolly, they have constantly tweaked their core around Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards. When the team needed a center, they sent a hall for Rudy Gobert. When the roster became too expensive, they traded Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randall and Dante Di Vincenzo. And just a few days ago, they flipped Randall to shed more salary, which made this. Deal for LaMelo Ball possible, completely restructuring their team overnight. And much like the other trades, this is a huge gamble, one that could bear fruit or become an absolute disaster. LaMelo, in theory, is perfect for what the Timberwolves need. A big ball handler with unlimited range who&#8217;s one of the best passers in the NBA, a star guard who plays well off of the ball, the perfect complementary player next to Anthony Edwards, who for all of his Improvements needed help when it came to playmaking and creating. Time and time again, in the playoffs, the Timberwolves were burned because of the burden Antt carried as the number one offensive threat. With LaMelo on the roster, Ant&#8217;s life should get a lot easier. And defensively, Gobert, McDaniels, Edwards, and Ayo Deumu, who they just re-signed, is a lot of versatility that should theoretically cover for some of LaMelo&#8217;s lack of awareness on that end. So the theoretical fit is good. But the risk is huge. LaMelo has only played more than 60 games twice in his six-year career. Chronic ankle injuries have become a legitimate long-term question for him, and that&#8217;s exactly why the Hornets are cashing in after he just played 72 games last season. If LaMelo can&#8217;t stay healthy, the Wolves can&#8217;t compete in a stacked Western Conference, and now, because of this trade and all the other ones they&#8217;ve made, don&#8217;t have control of any of their picks moving forward. That. Could accelerate how quickly Anthony Edwards gets frustrated and eventually wants out of Minnesota, but LaMelo could be the missing piece to help them win a championship. As with anything LaMelo Ball related, there is both a low floor and an incredibly high ceiling to this trade. And like the Wolves have done in the past, they&#8217;re taking a risk because of their belief in their franchise superstar, Anthony Edwards, and that is something you have to respect.&#8221;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Esfandiar Baraheni&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"none\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><b>The Hornets were the second-half darlings of the NBA last year. How surprised are you that they moved away from what was working for them?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Koreen:<\/b> Not shocked, but close. The Hornets have been rudderless for so long. I truly thought they would give last season\u2019s core more of a runway to see how real that success was, then reassess by February or after the season.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid4\" data-position=\"mid4\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7394098\/2026\/06\/25\/coby-white-hornets-contract-nba\/\">the Coby White trade <\/a>was obviously more than a hedge against the LaMelo experience. It was a plan for life after Ball. Most teams would let the good times roll, and I think this move is bolder than it initially appears.<\/p>\n<p><b>Murray: <\/b>It is shocking. But not surprising. The Hornets had me looking up starter jackets with how they were playing after Ball and Brandon Miller got healthy. They built up some goodwill. But look at the tea leaves. Ball playing 72 games was a minor miracle after he played a combined 105 games over the previous three seasons. There was a stretch in January where Ball was coming off of the bench to manage his minutes. Ball clocked in at a career-low 28.0 minutes per game, even though he\u2019s only 24 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Then there\u2019s the matter of Ball\u2019s notorious driving in Charlotte, the latest scare coming the same month Charlotte acquired White. The Hornets still didn\u2019t make the playoffs. They sold high on Ball, and it\u2019s a basketball shame because Ball was the engine of that potent offense. When Ball was on the floor, the Hornets scored 123.2 points per 100 possessions. When Ball was off the floor, the Hornets scored 110.6 points per 100 possessions. That\u2019s like going from the best offense in the league to Sacramento\u2019s offense last year. But clearly, the Hornets feel like they can have Charles Lee figure the offense out with White while breathing easier on defense and not worrying about Ball\u2019s next injury or incident.<\/p>\n<p><b>Nehm:<\/b> I\u2019m not that surprised. I think the Hornets were delighted to play good basketball last season and happy that they did that with many of their core guys contributing to their success, but missing the playoffs might have ended up being a blessing in disguise. That kind of success early in a team\u2019s build can lead to outsized expectations and unreasonable belief in a core that has underlying issues.<\/p>\n<p>If they didn\u2019t believe in Ball as a franchise player, which this trade suggests was the case, then moving off of him is totally reasonable. It is their right to build this team up in the exact vision they want, and they exercised that right by trading Ball, but this will undoubtedly be a fork in the road moment for the franchise. In a few years, we\u2019ll know if they were proven right or wrong in their conviction today.<\/p>\n<h3><b>In two years, which of these feelings will be felt most intensely regarding this trade: Timberwolves gratitude, Timberwolves regret, Hornets gratitude or Hornets regret? <\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Koreen:<\/b> As much as I like the Ball-Edwards fit, it\u2019s the Timberwolves regret. Edwards is a good enough talent to try to do everything you can to win around him. However, I think Minnesota is boxed in now with a roster that isn\u2019t quite up to the task of unseating the Thunder or Spurs at the top of the conference. I applaud the gusto with which they\u2019re going for it, but this roster falls just short for me. I worry what this situation will look like in two years.<\/p>\n<p><b>Murray:<\/b> Despite how I feel about the Hornets now, I\u2019ll say Hornets gratitude. I do feel like they\u2019re building a culture over there, and establishing a system of how they want to play. They may take steps back, but that\u2019s whatever. This team has already been out of the playoffs for a decade. But they\u2019re going to have assets to play with while taking a hard look at who they are paying in the short term. As for Minnesota? Let\u2019s see how it addresses its needs next month.<\/p>\n<p><b>Nehm:<\/b> The Hornets\u2019 willingness to trade Ball suggests that there is at least some risk in trading for Ball, but I think this pairing is going to work in Minnesota. I think Ball and Edwards are going to hit it off and enjoy playing together, and I think both will sign extensions to remain in Minnesota for years to come. Figuring out the rest of the roster is going to be a difficult task for Connelly, but I ultimately think Timberwolves gratitude will be the feeling felt most intensely in two years.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has made some of the NBA\u2019s most interesting trades. He gave up a ton for Rudy Gobert in a deal that initially seemed like an overpayment but ultimately set up the Timberwolves for back-to-back conference finals. He then moved Karl-Anthony Towns after one of those conference finals [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2011017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2011017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011017\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2011017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2011017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2011017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}