Major 8-for-2 trade! Ant-Man and LaMelo team up! Timberwolves' last stand

After Giannis brought his talent to South Beach, the NBA league once again saw a major trade!

The Hornets trade away LaMelo Ball and Josh Green for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, first-round swap rights for 2028, 2029, and 2030, and three second-round picks in 2029, 2032, and 2033 — one immediate contributor plus seven draft assets.

A 2-for-8 deal.

One side completely gives up its ball-dominant star, the other empties its future assets — for the trade to go through, there must be underlying reasons.

For Charlotte.

The logic is simple: promote Brandon Miller and Knecht to the forefront.

Whatever assets they got back can be set aside; hindering the young players' development is the biggest concern.

The Hornets have missed the playoffs for nine consecutive years, plagued by injuries and roster mismatches, and the team-building model centered around Ball as the undisputed star has hit a ceiling.

Knecht was so impressive last season — it would be truly unfair to let LaMelo keep dribbling around and taking wild shots.

Remember, Di Ge once said that Ball's playing style can win fans and traffic, but it's hard to win games — the Hornets should have traded him long ago.

Besides, the Timberwolves simply offered too much this time.

That offer was impossible to refuse.

For Minnesota.

From practically giving away Randle to acquiring LaMelo, these two moves will surely draw criticism: Is the Wolves' front office drunk on fake liquor?

Let me put it another way, guys, and you'll understand:If they kept last season's roster, could the Timberwolves beat the Thunder or the Spurs?

Ant-Man himself would have to surrender and shake hands early — that's the biggest justification.

Since they can't win, changes had to be made.

It can be seen as the front office's last-ditch effort to appease Anthony Edwards.

If it still doesn't pan out, the big man will have to demand a trade.

In the freezing Minnesota, Edwards doesn't need to stay — he must have heard Garnett's famous quote: Sometimes loyalty can hurt you...

Can the Timberwolves' new lineup succeed?

I am very pessimistic about it.

1. Naz Reid was the team's second big man, acting as a stretch offensive weapon and the only dependable backup for Gobert.

After trading him away, the team's frontcourt relies solely on Gobert, leaving almost zero backup big man depth.

2. After selling the farm, the Wolves will have a hard time making any significant upgrades through draft picks down the line.

3. The trio of LaMelo, Ant-Man, and Gobert will blow up the salary cap.

4. The most crucial point is:

I don't believe a team with LaMelo can contend for a championship.

Therefore, the biggest significance of this move is:

Briefly appeasing Ant-Man.