LaMelo Ball Trade Called 'Significant Gamble' in NBA, New Wolves Rumors Leak After Kuminga Contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves' offseason acquisition of guard LaMelo Ball is reportedly being met with skepticism inside NBA circles.

During a discussion Friday on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (beginning at the 12-minute mark), ESPN NBA insider Tim MacMahon said, "If we're being honest, there's more optimism, I think, from fans about LaMelo going to Minnesota than there is out of front offices around the league. This was looked at as a significant gamble by [T'Wolves president of basketball operations] Tim Connelly, who's known as a riverboat gambler."

Connelly took a big swing last month by acquiring Ball and Josh Green from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three second-round picks and three future pick swaps.

Minnesota also sent three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a salary dump as part of the deal.

Ball was the centerpiece of a busy offseason for the Timberwolves, as they also signed Ayo Dosunmu to a contract extension and signed forward Jonathan Kuminga in free agency this week.

Originally selected third overall by the Hornets in the 2020 NBA draft, Ball burst onto the scene, winning NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

He followed that up the next season with his first and only All-Star selection, averaging 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game.

On paper, Ball had great production over his six seasons in Charlotte, putting up 20.8 points, 7.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 three-pointers made and 1.4 steals per contest.

However, he has never been a particularly efficient player, shooting just 41.8 percent from the field in his career, and turning the ball over 3.2 times per game on average.

Because of that, there have been questions about whether Ball is a winning basketball player. After all, the Hornets never reached the playoffs during his tenure with the team.

On top of that, durability has been a concern with Ball, as he has played in 51 or fewer games in four of his six NBA seasons.

He was an All-Star when he played in a career-high 75 games in 2021-22, though, and he did manage to appear in 72 games last season.

Perhaps the biggest gamble of all when it comes to the Timberwolves landing Ball is rolling the dice on how he will mesh on the court with superstar guard Anthony Edwards.

Both Edwards and Ball are ball-dominant players, but it is unquestionably Edwards' team, as he has been named an All-Star each of the past four seasons and averaged 28.8 points per game last season.

Edwards is the driving force behind Minnesota's success, and the team needs Ball to be a quality complement rather than a player who adversely impacts what Edwards is trying to do.

It remains to be seen if Ball can be that type of player, but if he can, then he could prove to be a steal and the missing piece that helps the Timberwolves get over the top and into the NBA Finals.