The Clear Case for LeBron to Minnesota

Tim Connelly and the Minnesota Timberwolves have already made their summer splash, and it was not exactly a toe-dip into the pool.

Acquiring LaMelo Ball from Charlotte was the kind of move that immediately changes the way everyone has to think about this roster. The direct cost was steep: Naz Reid, the 2033 first-round pick, multiple swaps and second-rounders. The indirect cost was Julius Randle, who had to be shipped to Brooklyn in what was essentially the salary-clearing first domino that made the bigger move possible and opened the door for an Ayo Dosunmu signing. Put the two transactions together and the Wolves have dramatically reshaped themselves in the span of a week, moving away from the big-body, frontcourt-heavy identity that defined the last few seasons and into something faster, flashier, younger and, potentially, more dangerous.

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The Wolves now have one of the most electric backcourts in the league. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, the No. 1 and No. 3 picks from the 2020 NBA Draft, are about to enter their primes together. If you are a Wolves fan who has spent the past few years watching half-court possessions occasionally turn into a clogged sink, this is the kind of pairing that makes your basketball brain start lighting up like a Christmas tree. LaMelo’s passing should take pressure off Edwards. His pace should create easier looks before defenses get set. His creativity should unlock Jaden McDaniels as a cutter, Rudy Gobert as a lob threat, and Ant as the most terrifying off-ball weapon he has ever been allowed to become.

There is only one problem. The Wolves now have a power forward-sized hole in the middle of their roster.

For years, Minnesota’s identity was built around size. They had Gobert, Naz, and Randle. Before that, they had Karl-Anthony Towns. The Wolves were a team that walked into the gym and immediately made opponents feel smaller. Now, after the LaMelo trade and the Randle salary dump, the frontcourt looks awfully thin. Gobert remains, Joan Beringer is waiting in the wings, and McDaniels can slide up in certain lineups. But if Minnesota is serious about contending for…

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Publish date : 2026-07-03 19:46:00

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