The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets, outbidding the Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors as interested suitors, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
The Blazers are seemingly involved in every potential star trade target at this point, having already missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo and, more recently, Ball. While we love the aggression and general direction by general manager Joe Cronin, we can't help but feel like Portland's failed Ball pursuit is a blessing in disguise for this roster.
LaMelo Ball wouldn't have been a good fit in Portland
Portland should look to go star hunting this summer, but it needs to be an ideal fit, both on and off the court. Minnesota paid a steep price to find its co-star for Anthony Edwards, sacrificing Naz Reid, an unprotected first-round pick, three second-round picks, and three first-round picks in a swap.
After finally trending in the right direction with an exciting young core, Charlotte sold high on its polarizing star, which tells you all you need to know.
Ball is entertaining and one of the most talented guards in the league. That said, there are serious concerns regarding his durability and what a team's ceiling looks like with him as one of the best players.
Through six seasons, Ball is averaging just 50.5 games played, eclipsing the 50 games played threshold in just half of those years. When he does see the court, he struggles with efficiency largely due to questionable shot selection. Last season, he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Ball wasn't worth the risk for the Blazers
Ball will have a chance to change that narrative in Minnesota, but it's seemingly an all-or-nothing move by GM Tim Connelly that could backfire just as easily as it could succeed. Those same concerns would've applied to Ball regardless of where he wound up, and it isn't a worthwhile risk for a team like Portland due to the imperfect fit.
Would the Blazers have been better with Ball than before? Probably. But they also likely only get one home run swing this summer. From that standpoint, it's better that Portland has remained quiet up until this point, patiently waiting to find a better-fitting star to justify sacrificing these valuable future assets for.
After missing out on Giannis and now LaMelo, other stars Portland could pivot to, whom they've previously expressed interest in, include Anthony Davis, Jaylen Brown, or Trey Murphy III. Davis has durability concerns similar to Ball's and is likely an even worse fit due to his inability to space the floor. Brown or Murphy is the two-way star they could use on the wing to pair alongside Deni Avdija.
But considering Portland's interest in Ball just recently popped up seemingly out of nowhere, and Cronin's previous trades have been for players few expected, it wouldn't be surprising if they land a player currently flying under the radar. If that is the case, let's hope it's less of a flight (driving?) risk than Minnesota's newest point guard.
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