Anthony Edwards finished as Rookie of the Year runner-up to LaMelo Ball in 2021, and they were the headline names of their 2020 draft class. Five years later, the runner-up and the winner are about to share a backcourt. While the people who pulled it off are betting it will work, not everyone shares that sentiment.

League insider Evan Sidery, on X on Thursday, warned that the trade was falling apart. “This is an all-in risk for the Timberwolves,” Sidery tweeted. “If LaMelo Ball is unable to stay healthy, which has been a problem, this is a move that could force Anthony Edwards out of Minnesota down the road. However, if Ball stays on the court, this is a much-needed championship-type swing.”

Ball’s injury history hangs over the deal – he was limited across his three previous seasons before staying healthy enough to play 72 games this past year, the first time he’s played up to that number since his sophomore season in the league.

Minnesota acquired LaMelo Ball and Josh Green from Charlotte in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2030, and second-round picks in 2029, 2032, and 2033

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon spoke about the trade, calling it a direct message to the rest of the league. “This is a swing and telling all those vultures swirling, that are circling from other front offices, go somewhere else, shoo, get away from here,” he said. “This is a move that is telling Anthony Edwards: we are all in to win right now. And obviously, Ant was involved with this. Ant was consulted in this, and this is something that he wanted.”

Tim Connelly backed up MacMahon’s reporting. “They’re constant,” Connelly said of his conversations with Edwards. “Ant has great wisdom. Anything we do, he’s going to be a part and parcel to it. A couple of weeks ago, we spent a couple hours hanging out at his house just talking about the team, what we can do…. When you go to your leaders like Ant and say it takes this to get that, the conviction in our guys is evident. So I think the whole room is excited and we’re ready to try and take the next step.”

The Ball pursuit came following Minnesota sending Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick to Brooklyn for the No. 33 pick in a deal that was designed primarily to generate a $33.3 million trade exception. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst reported that Edwards “wasn’t the biggest Julius Randle fan” and had a “significant disconnect” with the forward.

Why the Front Office Believes This Solves the Real Problem

Windhorst separately reported that “the NBA vultures are swirling around Ant in anticipation of him potentially becoming the next superstar who’s available in the trade market.” It was a warning after Anthony Edwards reportedly grew frustrated following the earlier trade of Karl-Anthony Towns.

Multiple sources close to Edwards pushed back hard against that, telling Christopher Hine there’s “no truth to any of it,” with one source adding that Edwards and his team “love Minnesota” and view the franchise as the “ideal” situation. The Ball trade now comes as Minnesota’s clearest answer yet to the speculation – a declaration that they intend to build a genuine contender around him rather than wait for him to ask for a way out.