The Minnesota Timberwolves don’t have any excuses left to give Anthony Edwards after the LaMelo Ball trade. They traded Karl-Anthony Towns after reaching the conference finals in 2024 because the double-big lineup wasn’t the answer. Julius Randle drew plenty of heat in 2025, and the blame shifted to their lack of a point guard in 2026. KAT and Randle are gone, and LaMelo Ball was acquired to be their star offensive creator. The Wolves have nowhere to hide if they fall short again.
Chris Finch admitted the Wolves' mistake of playing Edwards on the ball too much. The head coach isn’t afraid to criticize his star, and their close relationship allows for owning up to his issues. Edwards will be the top scorer. Ball will be driving the offense with Ant Man finishing. This could be a dynamic or disastrous duo, and the Wolves need it to be great to avoid bigger problems.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted that other teams are already circling Edwards as a superstar to target if things go south. He is under contract through 2029, but things quickly get complicated if the superstar wants to leave. Minnesota doesn’t have a first-round draft pick to trade. They went in for Ball, and they may be stuck if this doesn’t work.
Timberwolves have no excuses left to sell to Anthony Edwards if they fail
Karl-Anthony Towns won the championship in 2026 and was in the conference finals in 2025. The Knicks don’t win the title without him. He was their second-best player and embraced a role change to help New York climb the mountain. The excuse that KAT was the problem was foolish, but it sounded plausible at the time.
Randle has struggled in the playoffs for years. His inconsistent energy and effort are a problem. Everyone knows that. The Timberwolves dumped him because of it.
Ball is an All-Star point guard. He has yet to play in a playoff game, but has produced flashy highlights and massive counting stats. Fans can debate LaMelo’s impact on winning, but he is the star guard Tim Connelly and the Wolves chose to put next to Edwards.
Ball will make plays. It should give Ant Man more catch-and-shoot opportunities and free him up to compete harder on defense. Fans should see the best version of Edwards this season.
That is good and bad. Fans know Ant Man is one of the best players in the world. Minnesota has made the conference finals in two of the last three years, but LaMelo feels like the final move for a bit. They went all-in to get him and don’t have the draft capital to pivot. If this fails, does Edwards chase a shot at teaming with a superstar elsewhere? It is a real question, and one Wolves fans don’t want to hear.
Minnesota chose Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and LaMelo Ball as the big moves to make around Edwards. There is only so much draft capital to spend. Credit to Connelly for being aggressive. He has tried to win. If they fail, the front office will have to own that. There is no we are just this move away. The Wolves don’t have the assets to make that transaction.
The time is now for the Minnesota Timberwolves. They have heaped this pressure on Anthony Edwards and clearly believe LaMelo Ball is the answer to their point guard woes. There are no excuses left. This has to work, or the rumblings of Edwards wanting out will get louder. It is a massive gamble on a guard that hasn’t played a playoff game. The Wolves got what they thought they needed. Fans will soon find out if the front office was right.
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