LaMelo Ball’s move to Minnesota has already sparked a bold projection for the 2026-27 season, and it starts with the idea that the Timberwolves may have found the backcourt piece they’ve been missing.
Charlotte made the blockbuster call this offseason, shipping Ball to the Timberwolves after years of him serving as the face of the franchise. Even with Ball running the show, the Hornets never got over the hump in the Eastern Conference, and the team chose to go in a different direction.
In Minnesota, the setup looks very different. Ball joins Anthony Edwards, and that pairing gives the Timberwolves one of the stronger backcourts in the NBA. Edwards has already helped push the team to two Western Conference Final appearances over the last three years, and the addition of Ball is being viewed as a move that could take the group even further.
NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor was especially high on what Ball brings to the table.
"You have this just magnificent playmaker in LaMelo Ball, who is so creative, who pushes the ball ahead, who forces you to play fast. But he can also shoot at a really high level without the ball in his hands.
He's active, he brings a contagious energy, and I think about the weaknesses of this Minnesota team in past years; sometimes things would become so stagnant, slow in the half-court. And I think with LaMelo, he just brightens this up…so I think with ANT, you're gonna see a guy who has developed and added layers to his game every year; you're gonna see a new layer this year," O'Connor said.
That’s the appeal here: Ball gives Minnesota another playmaker, another creator, and another player who can make life easier for the guy next to him. He has done plenty of that throughout his time in the league, and he has continued to find new ways to affect games each season.
There’s also the possibility that the fit helps Edwards, too. With Ball handling the ball and creating offense, the Timberwolves could open up even more room for Edwards to keep expanding his game.
The upside is obvious. If Ball and Minnesota click, the Timberwolves could be staring at a legitimate NBA Finals run. But before any of that matters, the first order of business is simple: build chemistry and make the pieces fit on the floor.
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