The Timberwolves have a LaMelo Ball problem to solve, and it has nothing to do with his talent.
The real question is how much Chris Finch should ask of him night after night. Minnesota brought in an All-Star-level point guard, but the payoff only matters if Ball is available when it counts. That makes his workload one of the biggest unresolved issues hanging over the team this summer.
Britt Robson of MinnPost put the question directly to Finch during the press conference earlier this month that introduced Ball and Josh Green. Finch didn’t offer much beyond this: "We haven’t dug into it just yet so those conversations will be had as we go through the summer."
That leaves Ball’s minutes right alongside Minnesota’s starting power forward spot as the major things still waiting on an answer.
There’s plenty of excitement around the move. Fans were thrilled to land Ball, even with the sting of sending Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets. It has been years since the Timberwolves had a point guard at this level, and pairing Ball with Anthony Edwards gives the offense a ceiling it hasn’t had in a while.
But the injury history is impossible to ignore, especially with Ball’s ankles. He played 72 games last season, the second-highest total of his six-year career and just behind the 75 he logged in his All-Star 2021-22 season. Before that, though, his availability had been much shakier: from 2022-23 through 2024-25, the 2020 third overall pick appeared in only 105 games combined.
He also posted the lowest minutes average of his career last season at 28.0.
That number may be the safest place to start. Keeping him somewhere around that range, and maybe no higher than 30, would give Minnesota a better chance of preserving him for the stretch run. The trade was always going to carry some risk because of Ball’s injury track record, and the Wolves know the goal is not just to get him through the regular season - it’s to have him ready to go when the playoffs arrive.
If Ball needs a breather, Minnesota has options. Bones Hyland and Ayo Dosunmu can handle the ball and keep the offense moving, even if the scoring punch dips a bit while Ball sits. It’s not an exact replacement, but it gives Finch some room to manage the load.
Finch also pointed to the Wolves’ medical staff later in the press conference, calling it one of the best in the league. That matters here. Minnesota will need to make a careful call, and it sounds like the organization believes it has the people in place to do it.
However it plays out, this is one of the most important decisions the Timberwolves will make this summer.
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Ayo Dosunmu gives Minnesota another source of scoring and bench creation, which is why a reserve role remains very much in play, while Josh Green and Jaylen Clark offer a different kind of value as lower-usage options. Green brings the more established 3-and-D profile, and Clarks case depends on how much his shooting can hold up, leaving the Wolves with a choice that could ripple through the rotation quickly even before anything official is announced. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Face A Roster Squeeze With Camp Decisions Looming
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Around the league, the same cap pressure is shaping a few other decisions, with sign-and-trade talk already tying up Bennedict Mathurin and the Grizzlies expected to move AJ Johnson and DAngelo Russell just to keep their own books manageable. For Minnesota, that is the larger backdrop here: a team with real interest in adding another piece, but one that may have to watch as the market for Kuminga gets defined by clubs willing to push harder on both salary and contract terms. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Clark Feels One Step Away From Changing Everything For Wolves
Jaylen Clark already carved out a niche for himself in Minnesota by doing the dirty work on defense, and the Timberwolves rewarded that progress with a new three-year, $10 million deal in June. He played 63 games last season and averaged 13.3 minutes, giving Chris Finch another athletic perimeter option who could be trusted to make life difficult on opposing guards.
The next step is the one that could change his standing in the rotation. Clark spent the offseason working to sharpen his three-point shot, a skill that will go a long way toward determining whether he can turn a useful defensive role into something more consistent and meaningful for the Wolves. [Read more 🡒]