The Minnesota Timberwolves have added star point guard LaMelo Ball, setting the stage for a blockbuster partnership with Anthony Edwards. Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho believes Ball can elevate Edwards’ game, but only if one key condition is met.
Emmanuel Acho Sends Strong Message About LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards Partnership
Edwards carried a heavy burden for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, taking on increased ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities due to the team’s lack of depth at point guard. The arrival of Ball changes that scenario, giving Minnesota one of the league’s most creative playmakers and an explosive offensive weapon in the backcourt.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst even said the Timberwolves’ trade for Ball is to “keep Edwards engaged” in Minnesota, which speaks volumes about the trade’s magnitude. Amid all these discussions, Acho set one condition for Ball and Edwards to coexist successfully.
“LaMelo Ball will help Antman get to a championship if and only if Antman can learn how to play off the ball,” Acho said in the latest episode of the “Speakeasy” podcast. “That is the next step of the Ant-Man evolution. That is the next step of Ant-Man’s game. We saw Ant-Man develop the three-point shot. We already know he has elite, sci-fi caliber athleticism.
“But Ant-Man, can you understand how to move off the ball? Can you continue to raise the cerebral aspect of your game? What I did not want to see was Ant-Man having to be the predominant ball handler. He no longer does. Now you (have) got a dude who is a walking 10-assist player in the LaMelo Ball, and here’s the great news for the LaMelo Ball.”
“LaMelo Ball will help Antman get to a championship if and only if Antman can learn how to play off the ball.”@EmmanuelAcho explains how LaMelo Ball & Anthony Edwards can coexist
WE ARE LIVE RIGHT NOW ➡️ pic.twitter.com/lY6jPZ1kZy
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) June 26, 2026
Edwards has developed into one of the NBA’s premier scorers, but he has never shared the floor with a playmaker as gifted as Ball, who is coming off another productive season with the Charlotte Hornets.
Ball averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 40.7% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc this past season.
Ball’s strengths are best utilized with the ball in his hands, and so, reducing him to a spot-up shooter while Edwards controls the offense would limit Ball’s elite court vision and passing ability. Acho believes Ball should embrace the role of a true floor general, allowing Edwards to focus on what he does best: scoring.
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“If Ant-Man does not learn how to operate without the ball in his hands, this is just a splashy trade that will be sizzled for about one month to start the season, and it will yield no results,” Acho said. “It’s all on Ant-Man learning how to move without the ball. If he can do that, the sky’s the limit.”
The blockbuster deal sent Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota in exchange for Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round selections.
There had been several discussions about Minnesota moving on from Reid for a while now, since they wanted someone who could truly complement Edwards. And so the experiment will largely define their upcoming season.