Timberwolves interested in uniting Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball: Sources
Timberwolves interested in uniting Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball: Sources
Once draft rivals, Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball could soon become backcourt teammates if the Timberwolves and Hornets can reach a deal. David Berding / Getty Images
By Jon Krawczynski and Sam AmickJune 25, 2026 Updated 9:40 am EDTBreaking: Hornets have traded LaMelo Ball to the Wolves for Naz Reid and draft picks.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, ultimately choosing Anthony Edwards over James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball, a decision that was hotly debated at the time. Six years later, the Wolves are exploring the idea of uniting the No. 1 and No. 3 picks in the same backcourt.
After ESPN reported Wednesday night that the Charlotte Hornets were fielding offers for Ball, the Timberwolves were one of several teams to express interest in trading for the star point guard, team and league sources told The Athletic. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because discussions were still in the very early stages.
It should come as no surprise that Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has grand ambitions as he dives into the trade and free agency season.
Every time the Timberwolves show interest in a star, it must come with a caveat. Connelly is one of the most aggressive shoppers in the league. He chased Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo over the last two years. He paid a premium for Rudy Gobert four years ago. So the fact he is considering Ball should come as no surprise. This is what he does.
Whether it is Ball, Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving or other high-profile names, Connelly is constantly exploring ways to upgrade Edwards’ supporting cast.
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves fans will have to block out the looming trade rumors
The trade machine needs to be fed and with Giannis gone, the noise around Edwards will only get louder.
“You guys all know my boss, right? I think he’s getting the shakes, getting ready for free agency the last couple days here at the draft,” Wolves general manager Matt Lloyd joked about Connelly after the second round on Wednesday night.
That said, the Timberwolves have an acute need for a point guard, and Connelly and coach Chris Finch have long admired Ball’s game, believing his superior passing and volume 3-point shooting would be an ideal fit next to Edwards. The former Rookie of the Year is coming off one of his best seasons: After three years of injury issues, Ball played in 72 games for the Hornets, averaging 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 36.8 percent from 3-point range on just over 10 attempts per game.
Ball quarterbacked a high-flying Hornets offense that finished fifth in the league in efficiency and was ranked No. 1 after the calendar turned to 2026. Charlotte was 11.6 points per 100 possessions better on offense and had a plus-9.9 net rating with Ball on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass.
With Mike Conley aging out of the starting lineup last season and now a free agent, the Wolves do not have a classic point guard on the roster. They used Edwards in that role for much of last season, to varying degrees of success. He averaged a career-high 28.8 points, but his 3.7 assists per game were his lowest since his rookie season, which should not have been the case with the ball in his hands more often.
The Wolves acquired Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline and just re-signed him to a five-year, $112 million contract. But Dosunmu is more of a combo guard than a true point guard. Donte DiVincenzo, the other starting guard last season, is expected to miss much of next season with a torn Achilles. Bones Hyland is also a free agent.
Ball would bring concerns as well. In the three seasons prior to last, Ball played in 105 of a possible 246 games because of injuries. He has also never played in a playoff game despite being in the weaker Eastern Conference, and he would be coming to a team with designs on returning to contender status in the West.
After the San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Wolves in the second round of the playoffs, a step back for Minnesota after consecutive trips to the Western Conference finals, Connelly and Finch talked about the need to add more playmaking and creation to the offense. When Connelly spoke to the media after the first round of the draft Tuesday night, he lamented the lack of pure point guards around the league.
“We’ve got to manufacture it,” Connelly said. “We have to ensure that we’re creating as many good shots as possible, specifically for Ant. And whether that’s on our present roster or whether it’s looking outside of our team, it’s something that we certainly have to address.”
Twenty-four hours later, Ball was suddenly available.
The Wolves are also armed with more flexibility than they have had in recent years to try to get a deal done. They have already traded Julius Randle and the 28th pick to the Brooklyn Nets for the 33rd pick, which they used to draft Duke sharpshooter Isaiah Evans on Wednesday night. The deal allowed the Wolves to offload Randle’s $33 million salary, dropping their payroll $31 million below the first apron and giving them much more room to operate.
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The Randle trade is not expected to become official for several weeks because the Nets and Wolves have to work through other moves first to maximize their dealmaking abilities under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.
“We’ll always kind of invent a way to transact, even if, at times, on paper it doesn’t look as though we can,” Lloyd said. “Something will happen. I don’t know how. We’ll have mechanisms to utilize here in the next couple weeks, too.”
The Wolves could expand the Randle trade to include the Hornets as a way to facilitate a deal for Ball by making salary-matching easier. Or they could try to work directly with Charlotte if the Hornets covet other pieces, which is likely, given they would not just want to give away Ball without receiving something of value in return.
The Athletic has reported that the Wolves would not make Jaden McDaniels available in trade talks for Antetokounmpo. That has not changed in any anticipated discussions with the Hornets about Ball.
The Stein Line reported that the Toronto Raptors are among the other suitors who have expressed interest in Ball.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
