Minnesota Sports Forum

AussieWolf3 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 2:46 pm Jaden is the power forward!

It's wild to me that nobody bats an eye at Chet Holmgren being a PF yet for some reason when it comes to our 7 foot SF it absolutely untenable for him to play PF where he will be significantly more impactful as a defender and as a scorer.

Everyone insists that he's best use at the POA and I'm sorry we only say that because it's what he's done, but the dirty secret is that he has gotten worse and worse at that part of his job every year.

He's best as a roaming playmaker use, along with Rudy is cleaning everything up, and because of his athleticism he can easily switch out to the perimeter.

Barring other moves it's clear that the Timberwolves intend to move Ayo into being the primary POA defender and with this move for Ball there's no more excuses for Ant on defense.

In 23' he was a plus defender, this was also the last time he played next to a real point guard. Ant was on the ball 26% of the time compared to Mike's 38%. Fast forward to now and he is a significantly more efficient scorer playing next to the best passer in the league this side of Jokic.

Melo is goofy and I don't know what to make of his personality fit on the team, but this is a slam dunk basketball fit. Just need to find a back up PF

I’ve been saying for a while Jaden is a 4 defensively and Naz is a 3 in offense. I don’t think we have enough Jaden post game evidence to say that’s a good role on offense but this is supposed to be positiinless basketball under finch anyways. The traditional labels and roles of 1-5 and Pg-C are as antiquated as being upset about a guy making 20m a year to be 6th man. I don’t mind our current roster. I miss Naz and feel terrible for him. He gave everything to this team and was just discarded shortly after Ant said no to trading Jaden. That’s cold man, and I thought they were a trio. I also am terrified of how empty our assets are and how TC has no extension and just sunk the team into this with the last grasp at a big move.

He showed up and first thing he did was trade 4 number ones. Now the last thing he does on the way out the door potentially is to flush another, man this is tough. All the hope I had yesterday…all the troubles seemed so far away..now it could go sideways at any minute.

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 2:20 pm Zach Kram on ESPN gives the Wolves a D+ for this move. And I hate to admit it, but he makes a pretty compelling case for it. To me it's clear this is a last gasp by the Connelly regime to win a title with Edwards. When the check comes due TC is going to be long gone, these moves pretty much set the stage for that. And there still has to be another move, we need to do something at the 4 and our resources are pretty much depleted. I still don't know why Rudy is still on the team.

I'm feeling really ambivalent about it, but I'd like to respectully push back against the argument (not just here, but in general) that our future resources or assets are depleted.

It's absolutely true that we've traded away several future draft picks and we've given up pick swaps.

But I think it's best not to think about things in terms of future draft assets, but to more broadly think about this in terms of value.

If you look at it that way, we have converted the value of those picks into the value of players, just like, if you were to buy stock in something, you convert the value of your money (like draft picks) into the value of a stock. The picks may be gone or swap rights given up, but the players that we've got also have value that could potentially be converted back into other forms such as draft picks or other young players in the same way that if you buy stock, you might have less cash, but you can sell those shares at some point in the future and convert the value back into cash or some other form.

So if we really want to think about future assets, we need to think about the value of our players (in relation to their contracts) as well as our picks. Older players obviously lose their value over time to the point that they ultimately have no value when they can't play any more, like Mike Conley. Sometimes it's worth it to let the value of an player dissipate rather than trade him because you might need him in order to compete, which was the case with Mike. His value to us those first couple years after we got him was worth giving up on the court relative to what we could have converted his value back into at that time. That might also be the case with Rudy, given his age, or we may decide that we need to try to keep that investment in him as a player for awhile longer. Similarly, value can run out on a player if their contract runs up and you can't resign them, or they don't want to resign with you. If that happens with a player who has a lot of value, then you end up like OKC losing Durant for nothing. That was a massive loss in value, and it's exactly why teams look to trade players in the year or so before their contract is up if the player indicates they won't re-sign--they don't want to lose the value. But as long as you anticipate that happening, you can usually go ahead and trade a player for value. Depending on the circumstances, you often don't get as much value back as the player provides you on the court, especially if you're trading away a star. But with younger players who are good and/or on reasonable or team-friendly contracts, that's always value you can convert back into another form in the future.

And right now, we have a bunch of young, good players, signed for long deals on reasonable contracts. Ayo, Jaden, Lamelo, and Ant are just entering their primes, and other than Lamelo's injury history, they're all likely to have a lot of value that we could convert into some other form in the future. It's possible Beringer will as well, and maybe even TJ.

So, if you're concerned we don't have many future picks, don't worry too much. We can probably trade away those guys at some point in the future and get more. In the meantime, it's better to have good players who can win games and compete, to help those guys improve as much as possible to keep their value high, or, if needed, trade them for other assets (players or picks) whose value will appreciate, and, when we do make picks (because we DO still have some picks), to make sure that we convert them into real value by picking the right players and developing them well. This isn't to say picks don't matter. You don't want to make bad investments and lose the value, and the Dillingham trade is a good example of a terrible investment. But I think, overall, the place we're in right now in terms of players and contracts still has some good investments.

Sorry for getting a bit long here, but my point is that it's not about picks. It's about value. And if you think about it that way, we've just converted that value from one form to another, and the form we've converted it into (mostly young players entering their prime--not aging stars on supermax contracts) is likely to hold that value for many years.

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 2:20 pm Zach Kram on ESPN gives the Wolves a D+ for this move. And I hate to admit it, but he makes a pretty compelling case for it. To me it's clear this is a last gasp by the Connelly regime to win a title with Edwards. When the check comes due TC is going to be long gone, these moves pretty much set the stage for that. And there still has to be another move, we need to do something at the 4 and our resources are pretty much depleted. I still don't know why Rudy is still on the team.

In a vacuum where we don't have to consider all the other asset-depleting moves the squad has made the past few years...

Giving up Naz Reid for LaMelo Ball for only ONE 1st rd pick (2033) and 3 seconds seems like a solid get.

But as noted, in totality, the cupboards are bare.



[Note: Gobert still adds a lot of value to this team in "most" games. He's been the key to everything defensively. I'm more ok with him sticking around with how the team looks TODAY... but things will still surely change.]

Fwiw Josh Green had some very good on off numbers last year. He might be a good low usage guy maybe even someone you start instead of Ayo even if he only plays the 15-20 minutes he plays in Charlotte. This also means he may be useful to another team and can be moved for another player that helps the frontcourt more. It's clear the Wolves aren't done and are not just sitting around playing it safe.

Wait, what if we’re trading Ant for Jaylen brown?

AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 3:18 pm

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 2:20 pm Zach Kram on ESPN gives the Wolves a D+ for this move. And I hate to admit it, but he makes a pretty compelling case for it. To me it's clear this is a last gasp by the Connelly regime to win a title with Edwards. When the check comes due TC is going to be long gone, these moves pretty much set the stage for that. And there still has to be another move, we need to do something at the 4 and our resources are pretty much depleted. I still don't know why Rudy is still on the team.

In a vacuum where we don't have to consider all the other asset-depleting moves the squad has made the past few years...

Giving up Naz Reid for LaMelo Ball for only ONE 1st rd pick (2033) and 3 seconds seems like a solid get.

But as noted, in totality, the cupboards are bare.



[Note: Gobert still adds a lot of value to this team in "most" games. He's been the key to everything defensively. I'm more ok with him sticking around with how the team looks TODAY... but things will still surely change.]

It seems to me that there has been enough reporting to suggest Gobert is wanted this off-season. He has excellent length, is a smart defender that doesn't rely on athleticism and keeps himself in excellent condition. It's probably a decent bet that if Beringer is actually ready at this point next year the Wolves can move Gobert for something of value...and depending on the needs/goals maybe save some money (to add flexibility) in doing so.

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 1:25 pm

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 12:58 pm

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 12:56 pm

I actually don't think the assets we gave up are that much. Our under 26 core is so strong I see us finishing high in the standings for several years, and certainly ahead of the Hornets...so the pick swaps mean nothing. So my admittedly homerish analysis of this deal is we got the best player on the team that had the best record in the East the last half of the season plus Green in exchange for a capable 6th man who was never as good as his adoring fans thought, some pick swaps that will never happen, some second round picks that will look like the hyphenated guy we just drafted (yawn), and a first round pick seven years in the future. Seems like a steal to me.

FNG, what do you think about the idea we now have two ball dominant players that are going to have to co-exist somehow. That's a big concern for me.

Certainly could be an issue, cool...especially in crunch time when both like to take the last shot. But Ant is interested mostly in 2 things...scoring, and winning. And Ball is a terrific assist guy. If Ant learns to move without the ball and use screens, Ball will find him...and Ant will become a 30 PPG scorer and the team will win. But if Ant insists on handling the ball and they get into "my turn, your turn" like last season, this move may not work out. The fact that Ant and Ball are friends and have a lot of mutual respect makes me think this is going to work out fine though.

Cool’s question is a good one and raises one of three concerns related to this deal that will determine whether it succeeds.

Regarding the concern raised by Cool, I agree with you, FNG, that the ball-dominance of these two won’t be a problem the way it was with Ant and Randle. Unlike Randle, Ball is a true PG who loves to pass and is very good at it. He’s an excellent, mobile ball-handler with a good three-point shot so he doesn’t stall the ball or clog the lane the way Randle did. Yes, Ball has been ball dominant, putting up 20+ points per game, but he doesn’t need to be and I sense he’ll love becoming a 10-assist playmaker. I could be wrong and certainly share Cool’s concern in this regard, but I think it’s a minor concern compared to the other two.

The second and biggest concern in my mind is Ball’s durability. Thus far, he’s played 70+ minutes in only two of his six NBA seasons. He’s played 51 or fewer in the other four. That’s very troubling. The good news, however, is that he played 72 games last season and hasn’t had any major injury or surgery hanging around his neck. His issues have mainly been ankle related. As I recall, Steph Curry had repeating ankle problems early in his career that suggested he might not make it but he went on to a hall-of-fame career.

My third concern is his reportedly inconsistent defensive effort. I haven’t watched enough of him to know whether that’s true and I haven’t looked into his defensive stats. But he’s still 24 years old like Ant and can definitely shore up that part of his game. As we all know, Ant needs to do the same. Each will lighten the offensive load on the other, which will give both of them more energy to devote to the defensive end. It will be up to Finch and the entire organization to hold them both accountable on the defensive end. I suspect both will be highly motivated to ramp up their defensive games in light of the criticism they’ve been getting. And I also suspect that Ball will have a bit of chip on his shoulder after being shipped out by the team that drafted him. Unlike Ben Simmons, I don’t think Ball lacks competitiveness. Just look at some highlights and even though he’s generally low-key on the court you’ll see moments of competitive exuberance.

My fourth concern has nothing to do with Ball. Instead, it’s the loss of Naz and the hole we now have in our front court. I suppose we can slide Jaden to the PF slot but I’m not sure that’s optimal except perhaps in certain matchups. We’ve lost front-court size and a lot of rebounding by moving both Naz and Randle. And because of the Ball deal, we’ve lost a lot of the financial flexibility we might have been able to use to fill that hole. Somehow, the Wolves need to get a physical, rebounding PF. And now we’ll have to do that with the taxpayer MLE of around $6M instead of the non-taxpayer $15M. Maybe it’s Jeremy Sochan.

Overall, I think this deal is exciting. We didn’t trade for a 34-year old coming off an ACL tear. We didn’t give up Jaden and TSJ along with Naz for the 31-year old Giannis. We gave up Naz and the rest of our limited tradable draft capital for a 24-year old former rookie of the year who played 72 games and averaged 20 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Like Naz, he’s a 37% three-point shooter. He’s a gifted ball-handler and passer with a very high basketball IQ. If you’re going to take a big swing, this is the sort of swing you take. It’s a swing that has a good chance of taking this team up to the next level contending with the likes of OKC, San Antonio and New York. It is also the sort of swing that can produce sustainable success over time as we now have a core of talented young players all on the front-side of the prime career years with our top two players (Ant and Ball) still 24 years old, Jaden McDaniels, Josh Green and TSJ 25, and Ayo 26. Meanwhile, we have some younger talent coming up in the two bigs we drafted last year with Beringer and Rocco both still 19. Add the 20 year old Evans to picture and you have a large group of talented young to younger players who will be very good as a team right away and will likely get better over time.

There’s a lot to be excited about even with the legitimate concerns surrounding this deal and LaMello Ball specifically.

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 12:56 pm

D-Loser25 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 12:31 pm Actually, no. This is a terrible trade. Looking at all the assets we gave up, this is just completely irresponsible on TC’s part. Trading Naz is the only part I like. There goes your friend again, maxing out all his credit cards again and heading for bankruptcy, just to impress some girl. I don’t even mind Lamelo, I like him in a vacuum, but this is really a fireable offense. It could have absolutely been worse though… that idiot could have done this same trade for Morant, fox or Durant. At least we’ll have a fun team next year, but I’m just so tired of this guy massively overpaying for known commodities. Any idiot can do that. A good GM (presti), finds gems, develops them, and continues to accumulate assets. This guy we have is a freaking clown.

I actually don't think the assets we gave up are that much. Our under 26 core is so strong I see us finishing high in the standings for several years, and certainly ahead of the Hornets...so the pick swaps mean nothing. So my admittedly homerish analysis of this deal is we got the best player on the team that had the best record in the East the last half of the season plus Green in exchange for a capable 6th man who was never as good as his adoring fans thought, some pick swaps that will never happen, some second round picks that will look like the hyphenated guy we just drafted (yawn), and a first round pick seven years in the future. Seems like a steal to me.

Yeah, sorry I’ve had a couple knee jerk reactions the last couple days lol. This is growing on me. Also, we’ll be adding another PF… someone like Collins

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 12:58 pm

FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 12:56 pm

D-Loser25 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 12:31 pm Actually, no. This is a terrible trade. Looking at all the assets we gave up, this is just completely irresponsible on TC’s part. Trading Naz is the only part I like. There goes your friend again, maxing out all his credit cards again and heading for bankruptcy, just to impress some girl. I don’t even mind Lamelo, I like him in a vacuum, but this is really a fireable offense. It could have absolutely been worse though… that idiot could have done this same trade for Morant, fox or Durant. At least we’ll have a fun team next year, but I’m just so tired of this guy massively overpaying for known commodities. Any idiot can do that. A good GM (presti), finds gems, develops them, and continues to accumulate assets. This guy we have is a freaking clown.

I actually don't think the assets we gave up are that much. Our under 26 core is so strong I see us finishing high in the standings for several years, and certainly ahead of the Hornets...so the pick swaps mean nothing. So my admittedly homerish analysis of this deal is we got the best player on the team that had the best record in the East the last half of the season plus Green in exchange for a capable 6th man who was never as good as his adoring fans thought, some pick swaps that will never happen, some second round picks that will look like the hyphenated guy we just drafted (yawn), and a first round pick seven years in the future. Seems like a steal to me.

FNG, what do you think about the idea we now have two ball dominant players that are going to have to co-exist somehow. That's a big concern for me.

Randle was ball dominant too. Just sayin

D-Loser25 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2026 3:21 pm Wait, what if we’re trading Ant for Jaylen brown?

Jon Krawczynski
The Wolves did have discussions with the Celtics on Jaylen Brown as well, sources told The Athletic. But they saw LaMelo Ball as fitting more of what they needed, for likely less compensation going out.