Timberwolves Shock NBA with LaMelo Ball Trade - What’s Next?
The Timberwolves shake things up by trading for LaMelo Ball, aiming for a dynamic duo with Anthony Edwards. Could this be a bold move for a brighter future?
Video Transcript
The trade nobody saw coming, the Minnesota Timberwolves give up their entire future to, and Naz Reid, to go get LaMelo Ball.
Right?
Well, it's not actually the- Yeah the compensation wasn't crazy.
And I love, by the way, I love the trade.
I'm a huge LaMelo Ball guy.
You are.
LaMelo Ball, did a great job this past year down in, Charlotte, and now you've got a legit point guard and scorer to complement Anthony Edwards out there- Yep in Minnesota now.
Not a lot of depth on that team right now.
Mm-hmm.
They have to figure that out, and, Rudy Gobert becomes a huge piece now- Mm-hmm defensively, as he should've been, but really wasn't last year, for the T-Wolves.
but I love this trade for Minnesota.
Yeah.
There's, like, three first round pick swaps, I don't care about them.
Get one pick.
One number one pick, obviously.
And three twos.
And Green also goes along with LaMelo Ball- Yes to Minnesota.
so Minnesota, a brand new team.
Yep.
Julius Randle gone, obviously.
Yep.
D. Vincenzo not playing this year 'cause of the Achilles injury, and now you get Naz Reid out of town, and LaMelo Ball gets to team up with Ant Edwards.
And I know Ant Edwards, kind of a tweener.
You could say he's a shooting guard, you could say he's a small forward, but he does have the ball in his hands a lot.
Yeah.
That's the best back court in the west.
Uh- What'd he say?
Yeah, I don't, I don't- I said that's the best back court in the west.
We'll have to wait and see.
You gotta wait and see.
But- The Spurs have a great back court younger.
Not as good as that back court.
It's younger.
It, it, but the problem is you gotta see fit, and that one question is you have two guys who need the basketball.
Very interested in how LaMelo Ball plays off the ball as a spot-up shooter.
He's not playing off the ball.
Well, he's gonna have to play off the ball sometimes.
Ant Edwards is not gonna have to play off the ball.
The, the, the- LaMelo Ball's a true point guard in my opinion they're right there.
Right.
So what you just announced was- Yeah they have no future.
They could win a championship.
Their best player has to have the ball.
And you just said- He's gotta get the ball- that he's not gonna have the ball when LaMelo decides to give him the ball Therefore- Yes Craig Carton just announced the Timberwolves have no future.
I didn't say that If, if they- Did I say that, Ethan?
Yes.
I don't think I said those words.
That's what you said.
If they play it correctly, and Melo moves better at times without the ball- Uh-huh and he, he has been a plus three point shooter, and makes the open looks because Ant Man gets doubled, then absolutely they can grow and win a championship.
But if the ball's gonna be Melo, Melo, Melo, Melo, Melo- Well, it's not, it can't be that it will lead to loss, loss, loss, loss, loss.
I agree with you on that.
It can't be what he did a lot in Charlotte, which was- it's all about me.
Uh-huh.
I'm going Harlem Globetrotters out on tour kind of basketball.
It's gonna be fast paced, LaMelo gets the ball up the court, look to dish to Ant first, create your own shot second.
That could be a very dangerous, back court- It could be in Minnesota.
Again, not a lot of depth.
Gobert's gonna have to be a rock star on defense, but that's gonna be a very interesting team to watch, and I love what they did.
I love it, and the- I love what they did.
They changed it up.
They said, "We are not good enough with Julius Randle- Right as our number two option here."
Right.
We need a real- "To win- Mm-hmm we need a legitimate scorer so that Ant Edwards doesn't have to score 35 every night a playoff game for us to have a chance to win."
You now have two, I think, generational scorers, both under 27 years old.
It's gonna be, it, really interesting to look.
And also in the east now, Charlotte actually becomes more intriguing- No, they don't because they now have- Stop it.
Stop it a $40.7 million trade exception, so now they can take on a huge contract- Fair for free without- Nobody wants to go to Charlotte.
No one is going to Charlotte it's a trade.
And the Knicks- It's not a free agent The Knicks own the east right now anyway it's a trade.
They don't owe They rent the east right now So, like, what Charlotte does is immaterial to me now.
You'll see.
The only reason to watch Charlotte was LaMelo Ball.
No, it wasn't.
Let's be honest about it.
Who did you watch Hornet games for?
Knipple was, was great last year.
Oh, my nipple, your nipple, it's a nipple, right?
He- Knipple is dead nice.
I think he's a great basketball player.
No, don't, don't you do that.
I, look- Don't you do that you could've made an argument he should've been Rookie of the Year instead of Cooper Flatt.
Right, he played great.
He had a great rookie season.
Yeah, so no hate.
But I went there to watch LaMelo Ball play.
And Brandon Miller was a 20-point scorer on the wing.
And eat some barbecue 'cause I like the vinegar in the barbecue.
Brandon Miller was a 20-point scorer on the wing.
No, I, I'm honestly not worried about Brandon Miller.
You just be careful.
I don't care about him.
Brandon Miller was dead nice.
I don't care about him.
Pause.
I don't care about Brandon Miller.
Why not?
'Cause I don't.
Because- He's a good player if I was gonna buy a ticket last year to watch Charlotte play, I was buying a ticket to watch one dude play, not Connor Knipple, not Miller.
Knipple is a better player.
I was going there to watch LaMelo Ball play.
He's box office attraction.
We'll see.
He's the guy you buy a ticket.
We'll see.
As a basketball fan, I respect what Knipple did.
He had a great rookie season.
Yeah.
Not a good one, a great one.
That's right.
Miller, great complimentary scorer off the wing.
20-point scorer.
Again, I'm with you on that.
A young player, he's only in year three.
Yes, but I don't buy a ticket to go watch those two dudes play.
I do buy a ticket and spend my hard-earned money, and I don't have much of it, watching LaMelo Ball play basketball.
