The Minnesota Timberwolves agreed to a blockbuster trade on Thursday morning, acquiring LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets. While Ball adds a lot of the things that the Timberwolves were missing on the offensive end of the floor, some may have wondered why the Wolves didn’t focus on a different target, including Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics.
According to Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor, the Timberwolves “explored a potential trade” for Brown before completing the deal for Ball.
While that sounds like Ball was a consolation prize, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski confirmed that Ball was their top target as they looked to make a big move.
“The Wolves were also in on Jalen Brown and they were having conversations with Boston about it. Now talking to people about it, the price tag for Jaylen was going to be way, way higher,” Krawczynski said on The Ryen Russillo Show. “It was gonna be Rudy [Gobert], Naz [Reid], young players, picks, like a lot of stuff going out and I think they looked at what Jalen does and even though he’s a much better player than LaMelo, they needed a point guard more and they could pay a lot less for LaMelo. So that even if it wasn’t going to be LaMelo, they were going to make some sort of move.”
Trading for LaMelo Ball made more sense for the Timberwolves than Jaylen Brown
The Wolves’ pursuit of Brown sounds a lot like their attempt to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. While it would have been great to add a two-time All-NBA selection and a five-time All-Star to the roster, it would have come at a cost that would have deprived the roster of its depth and resulted in a “studs and duds” type of lineup.
That isn’t to say Brown and Edwards wouldn’t have been a dynamic duo. The Wolves may have also been able to keep Jaden McDaniels, mainly because the Wolves are firm on keeping him. But it also wouldn’t field the complete roster that could go toe-to-toe with the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder, especially by trading more young players.
While Brown is the superior player, Ball also checks more boxes for the Timberwolves, as playmaking was a clear need.
The Rookie of the Year for the 2020-21 season, Ball has just one All-Star appearance that came the following year. While he didn't draw the accolades, he’s played himself into consideration when on the court, averaging 22.6 points, 7.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds over the past four seasons.
Durability has been a concern as Ball’s 72 games last season were his highest number since appearing in 75 games during the 2021-22 campaign. But with the ability to run as the point guard, set up teammates and be an offensive threat himself, it’s something the Timberwolves needed.
Ball should fit that bill and while Brown would have been fun on paper, the Timberwolves would have had a similar problem with a much weaker roster. That's why Ball was the player who ultimately got sent to Minnesota and could be the piece that helps the Wolves compete in the West again next season.
