The Minnesota Timberwolves have acquired LaMelo Ball and Josh Green in a blockbuster trade that sent Naz Reid, four first-round picks (three swaps), and three second-round picks to Charlotte. In doing so, they pair the two best players from the 2020 NBA Draft.
Anthony Edwards and Ball will unite to create one of, if not the best, backcourts in the league.
While they have been on contrary paths since joining the league, with Edwards leading Minnesota on playoff runs and Ball never making the playoffs. The addition of LaMelo could improve Edwards’ efficiency and unlock the Timberwolves’ offensive potential.
Last season, the Timberwolves lacked a surefire playmaker who could take on the primary ball-handling duties. This was on display during the regular season, where Julius Randle led them in assists with 5.0, and in the postseason, where Ayo Dosunmu led them with 4.1.
It’s clear Minnesota wants Edwards to be a scoring threat first and a facilitator second. He led the team in scoring with 28.8 points per game, third most in the NBA last year, but only averaged 3.7 assists.
Therefore, the trade for Ball was very advantageous for the Timberwolves, as they now have one of the league’s best playmakers to orchestrate their offense.
Throughout his career, LaMelo has showcased how impactful he is on the Charlotte Hornets. In each of the last two seasons, he has had at least a +10 differential in offensive rating when he is on the court vs off the court. While being on the ball 42% of the time, he managed to average 7.1 assists with an assist effective field goal percentage of 79% last season.
The addition of a floor general like Ball will allow Edwards to play off-ball more to get catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Since entering the league, Edwards has improved as a three-point shooter steadily. He shot 39.9% from three last season and 39.5% the season before.
Though he is a good shooter overall, Edwards is much better at catch-and-shoot threes than off-the-dribble threes. Last season, he shot a staggering 49.6% from beyond the arc on 139 attempts.
With LaMelo as the primary ball handler, Edwards could receive more catch-and-shoot three-point attempts to improve his efficiency and the Timberwolves’ offensive production.
Rudy Gobert is known for being sloppy in possession and a liability on offense, as he hasn’t averaged more than 15 points in a season since 2021.But, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year could see offensive improvement with Ball as his pick-and-roll ball handler.
LaMelo ran the pick-and-roll 8.6 possessions a game last year, fifth most in the NBA, and saw success running it with Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner. On those opportunities, Diabaté scored 1.18 PPP (Points per Possession), and Kalkbrenner netted 1.54 PPP, both above league average.
They both were able to attempt at least 3 at-rim field goals per game last season while playing with Ball.
If Ball was able to get good production from two young centers, he could have similar results with an NBA veteran like Gobert.
During pick-and-roll scenarios, Gobert finished with 1.27 PPP and shot 70.9% from the field last season. He averaged 5.5 at-rim shot attempts and finished 73.6% of those opportunities.
He also scored 48 times from alley-oop dunks.
With LaMelo’s offensive gravity, Gobert could see a ton of easy attempts at the basket while running the two-man game. If he could see even a slight improvement in offensive production, Minnesota could see itself with a high-powered offense that scores from both inside and outside the arc.
The Timberwolves have been a competitive team in the NBA’s Western Conference the last three years and have made the Conference Finals twice in that time frame. This trade signifies their desire to get over the hump and win now.
The trade was a costly one, as Ball and Green’s contracts put Minnesota over the salary cap and into the first apron. They still have four roster gaps to fill, such as replacing the frontcourt production of Reid, but are only $11 million away from entering the second apron.
However, if the acquisition of Ball pays off and he properly plugs their need for offensive playmaking, Minnesota could see itself finally reaching the NBA Finals.
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