The Minnesota Timberwolves checked in on nearly every big name on the market before trading for LaMelo Ball. According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the front office held talks with the Boston Celtics about Jaylen Brown, with the Milwaukee Bucks about Giannis Antetokounmpo and with the Chicago Bulls about Josh Giddey before settling on the deal that became official last Friday.
The Brown talks reportedly went furthest before the price ended them. Boston’s asking price was a king’s ransom that included Rudy Gobert and heavy draft capital, per Krawczynski, and Minnesota’s front office also debated internally how Brown would mesh with Anthony Edwards as a second isolation-heavy scorer. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports had reported the Brown exploration back in late June, when the Ball deal was first agreed; Krawczynski’s account fills in what Boston actually wanted and why Minnesota walked away.
The other two conversations were shorter. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly had pursued Antetokounmpo before last season and again at the trade deadline, per Krawczynski, and the sides never got close. Giddey drew interest as another big playmaking guard to pair with Edwards, but those talks gained little traction. Once it became clear Ball was available in Charlotte, every other option was set aside.
The report clarifies what Minnesota was actually shopping for this summer: a second high-usage creator next to Edwards, at a price that did not include its defensive anchor. The Wolves gave up Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first and a stack of seconds and swaps for Ball — a real cost, but one that kept Gobert, Edwards and the core of a division contender intact. Whether that reads as discipline or as settling depends entirely on how Ball’s season goes.
On the fantasy side, the report mostly confirms what Ball’s managers wanted to hear: Minnesota targeted him specifically as the lead ball-handler next to Edwards, so his assist and three-point volume should hold near his Charlotte levels. It also matters for Gobert — the Wolves declined to move him even for Brown, which keeps his rebounding and blocks floor as safe as any center’s in the league. Edwards’ outlook is unchanged.
