The Minnesota Timberwolves clearly spent the offseason chasing another star, and LaMelo Ball was only the prize they landed after checking a few other boxes first.
According to a new report from The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Minnesota explored at least three other high-profile options before ending up with Ball from the Charlotte Hornets. One of them was Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, who was ultimately dealt to the Miami Heat in a blockbuster move. Another was Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, who was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that brought Paul George back to Boston.
The most surprising name in the mix was probably Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls. Giddey has not exactly been a constant fixture in trade chatter, so seeing him surface in this kind of report stood out. But Krawczynski made clear the talks never got very far.
"Giddey was another big guard to potentially pair with (Anthony) Edwards, but there was little traction on talks there," Krawczynski writes.
Once Ball became available, Minnesota stopped looking elsewhere.
"When it became clear Ball was available, every other option was set aside," Krawczynski writes. "In a conference dominated at the top by big backcourts in San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ball’s 6-foot-7 frame was a huge selling point.
His shooting and passing give him an explosiveness at point guard that Edwards has not experienced in six years in Minnesota. And the Wolves believe Ball can empower McDaniels, who is coming off the best offensive season of his career, and reinvigorate Gobert, who has been waiting for a lob thrower forever."
The report doesn’t suggest Giddey is headed anywhere, and it certainly doesn’t read like Chicago was eager to move him. What it does show is that Minnesota had a wide-ranging search before settling on Ball, and now the Wolves have a starting group that should rank among the best in basketball.
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