The Minnesota Timberwolves traded for LaMelo Ball, but they will quickly find out that the All-Star guard struggles to impact winning. He has played more than 51 games just twice in his first six NBA seasons and has never appeared in a playoff contest. Ball averages 50.5 games per season. The Hornets have averaged just 31.1 wins each year since drafting Ball third overall in 2020. Hornets fans know the talented guard has struggled to help them win, which doesn’t fit in Minnesota.
The Wolves made the conference finals in 2024 and 2025. They were disappointed by a second-round playoff exit this season. Anthony Edwards is entering his prime and remains a proven alpha. He wants to win now. The Timberwolves needed a point guard, and they clearly made this move to chase a championship.
Tim Connelly made sense of dumping Julius Randle’s salary with this trade, but Minnesota may not have accomplished what they think. There were frustrations with Randle’s lack of effort and failure to impact winning. The Wolves traded one headache for another by landing LaMelo.
Timberwolves will quickly learn LaMelo Ball struggles to impact winning
Ball has dealt with ankle injuries for years, but played 72 games this season. It was his best year in terms of winning impact. The Hornets had a 7.9 net rating with Ball on the floor. In 2025, they lost his minutes by 5.4 points per 100 possessions, and it was a disastrous negative-6.9 in 2024. Keeping Ball healthy is a concern, but getting him to play serious basketball is another.
The 24-year-old has shot under 41 percent from the field for two straight years. He is not known for his defense, despite being 6’7. The Wolves want to win. They have Rudy Gobert to cover for some of his defensive issues, but they need him to take quality shots, make plays for others, and lock in on defense.
Those things didn’t always happen in Charlotte. The Hornets failed to make the playoffs with Ball leading their roster. They suffered a 31-point blowout loss to the Orlando Magic in the Play-In Tournament this year. Every time Ball got his team to the cusp of the playoffs, it ended in disaster.
Ball has a chance to prove it was the Hornets, not him, that struggled to win games, but it will take changes. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch has to get him to focus on making the right play and keeping everyone around him involved. He can’t be firing from 30 feet early in the shot clock or taking a heavily contested floater with someone wide open on the wing.
Wolves fans were sad to see Naz Reid go. Minnesota gave up the fan favorite, an unprotected first-round pick, three first-round swaps, and three second-rounders to get this deal done. Minnesota also picked up Josh Green from Charlotte. Connelly bet big on LaMelo, and it could backfire.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made a bold trade for LaMelo Ball, and the franchise will soon find out that he struggles to impact winning. Ball has injury questions and is still waiting for his first playoff experience as he enters his seventh year in the NBA. This move could end in disaster. It did in Charlotte, and things will only change if Ball is willing to adjust his game.
