It’s clear the Minnesota Timberwolves wanted another star.
They acquired LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets, but he was far from their only target this offseason.
They first went after at least three other players, according to a new article by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
One of those guys? Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Greek superstar was eventually sent to the Miami Heat in a blockbuster deal.
Another? Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics. He was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that brought Paul George back to Boston.
Maybe the least expected target, though, was Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls.
Giddey hasn’t really been involved in trade rumors, so it was surprising to see his name in this report.
Turns out, a trade was never actually that close.
“Giddey was another big guard to potentially pair with (Anthony) Edwards, but there was little traction on talks there,” Krawczynski writes.
The Timberwolves ended up feeling just fine with that, because they ended up with Ball instead.
“When it became clear Ball was available, every other option was set aside,” Krawczynski writes. “In a conference dominated at the top by big backcourts in San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ball’s 6-foot-7 frame was a huge selling point. His shooting and passing give him an explosiveness at point guard that Edwards has not experienced in six years in Minnesota. And the Wolves believe Ball can empower McDaniels, who is coming off the best offensive season of his career, and reinvigorate Gobert, who has been waiting for a lob thrower forever.”
This doesn’t seem to indicate that Giddey will be on the move. Clearly, Chicago wasn’t all that interested in making such a deal.
Instead, Minnesota gets Ball and will have one of the best starting lineups in basketball.
