With LaMelo Ball now alongside Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves suddenly have a backcourt that looks built to scare the rest of the league. Minnesota’s starting guards could be right there with the best of them, and maybe even at the top of the conversation once the two actually start sharing the floor.
The catch is simple: they still have to prove it. Even Edwards has acknowledged that it may take some time for the partnership to click, which makes the excitement around Minnesota feel equal parts hype and anticipation.
The talent is obvious. The chemistry still has to be earned.
If you’re looking for the teams that can push Minnesota in the race for the NBA’s best starting backcourt in 2026-27, three stand out above the rest.
San Antonio deserves a spot in the mix with De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. Fox didn’t have a great NBA Finals, but it was still good enough to land him his second All-Star nod.
Castle, meanwhile, already ranks among the league’s best two-way guards. And if this conversation included the top reserve guard instead of just the starters, the Spurs might be sitting at the very top after adding Dylan Harper.
There’s so much backcourt talent there that it has even fueled speculation Fox could be moved sooner rather than later.
Cleveland comes next with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers dealt Darius Garland in February to upgrade their starting backcourt, bringing in Harden to pair with Mitchell.
On paper, that gives them two guards who can explode offensively on any night. The concern is on the other end.
Harden has never built his reputation on defense, and he’ll be 37 when next season opens. That weakness showed in the playoffs, too, when Jalen Brunson hunted him in isolation and had his way with him late in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
At the top of the list sits the Lakers with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Los Angeles no longer has LeBron James, but it does have Dončić, who has earned six of the last seven All-NBA First Team selections.
Reaves is part of the package as well, and he might have been headed for his first All-Star appearance if not for a left calf strain on Christmas Day. His scoring has climbed every season across his first five years, and Dončić is fresh off his second scoring title.
The question for the Lakers is health, especially when the postseason arrives.
There are other backcourts worth mentioning, too. Oklahoma City has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace.
Philadelphia can point to Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. New York brings Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
Indiana has Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard.
Still, Minnesota’s case is strong. Edwards is widely viewed as the NBA’s best shooting guard, and Ball has already shown how much he can lift an offense when he’s on the floor. The Timberwolves haven’t played a game with this duo yet, but the ceiling is obvious enough to put them right in the thick of the league’s best-backcourt debate.
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For now, the challenge is less about urgency than patience, because the market at power forward does not appear especially rich in obvious solutions. Minnesota did add Trey Lyles, but his role is still something of a question after a year away from the NBA, and the more practical path may be to wait until the trade market opens up later in the season. For a fan base that has seen Connelly make meaningful moves before, this has the feel of a trust test: do you believe help is coming, or do you worry the answer is still out there somewhere? [Read more 🡒]