The day after the NBA Draft officially concluded brought with it more drama, as LaMelo Ball was surprisingly traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves to be paired with Anthony Edwards.
The Timberwolves having struck out on their attempts to land both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jalyen Brown, before settling on Ball as a running mate for Edwards. In truth he is a tier or two below the other two stars.
Ball is the point guard Devin Booker would love to play with
While the Timberwolves were making brave moves to give their roster a chance of competing with Edwards, the Suns were... signing an undrafted guard in hopes he can be the next Collin Gillespie. Which is great and everything, but at this point in Booker's career he needs as much help as he can to win.
Booker is at his best when he has a true floor general next to him, and not since Chris Paul has that happened. It does not take a genius to see that Bradley Beal and Jalen Green are not the ideal backcourt pairing to have with the 29-year-old franchise cornerstone.
But with a lack of trade assets and an owner in Mat Ishbia who has said this team will be built with the long-term in mind (and their actions so far this offseason have backed that up), adding an All-Star point guard talent such as Ball is a pipe dream.
The fact the Timberwolves were also willing to give up considerable assets for Giannis and Brown is also possible because their front office bided their time before making splashy moves.
Ishbia traded for Durant at the first opportunity, while the Beal and Jusuf Nurkic trades that followed to try and help the situation only made it worse. The front office has learned from those mistakes, but they have also contributed to this painful reality.
Which has seen the Timberwolves, just like the Utah Jazz, again stay ahead of Phoenix out West, and ensure that they have a better starting five than their counterparts in The Valley. Minnesota was a franchise that needed change and a point guard, and they have addressed both of those in one swoop.
Edwards seems to approve of the trade as well, and while it could yet blow up in their faces, it is a stark reminder of the poisition the Suns find themselves in. Booker needs help, and he won't be getting at an elite level anytime soon.
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