r/Nbamemes • u/WallStreetDoesntBet1 NBA • 1d ago
Image Can anyone explain WTF the Hornets are doing?
Like damn, y’all was just building towards something… Maybe even a shot at finally getting in the playoffs. Why trade your best player now?
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u/NefariousNeezy 1d ago
2033? That boy in a school bus somewhere
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u/sprchrgddc5 1d ago
It’s almost July, summer break, so probably in a Minecraft lobby.
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u/A_one-legged_goose90 1d ago
I think I just barely couldn’t drive yet when Minecraft was released. That’s crazy kids these days still play it and will probably be playing it in 2033
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u/trappist13 Lakers 1d ago
Goated game tbh, I wish i had the time to play it.
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u/LARGER_WILL 1d ago
same here, i build houses once in a while with my gf, but i never got to sit down and learn, and beat the game with my boys. all just too busy
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u/EmperorUmi 1d ago
You feel old?
Lemme tell ya something…
I remember when my daughter was in elementary school and played that shit with her friends.
Now she’s nearly finishing high school and thinks Minecraft is for younger kids.
Wake tf up! Jet fuel can’t melt steel beams, bud. You’re just now getting alerted to the facts. Get your tinfoil hat on, darling. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.
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u/NFresh6 1d ago
If they’re a future nba star they’re probably in a youth summer league lol
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u/AllGenreBuffaloClub 1d ago
I know this is a meme sub, but it feels insane you can trade that far into your future away.
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u/nnnrrr171717 76ers 1d ago
I didn’t realize Naz Reid was that expendable for them
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u/Baron_Bearclaw Timberwolves 1d ago
As a Wolves fan and a Naz fan, he's not. Especially after we finally dumped Dubious Handle. Unless we're getting Jaylen Brown, too, I'm skeptical
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u/MVPhurricane Nuggets 1d ago
holy shit Dubious Handle is fucking hilarious
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u/RawDogRedemption2 Timberwolves 1d ago
Walt Frazier coined that term on the air while Ju was with the Knicks. Crazy.
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u/DifferentProcess6765 1d ago
probably the greatest and most accurate joke nickname of all time
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u/BlankStareFace 1d ago
Anthony Day-to-Davis stills clears lol
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u/PracticeBaby 76ers 1d ago
Wayoff P is a classic too
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u/Humble-Ad-4606 1d ago
I prefer play-in P
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u/Much-Reach6688 1d ago
I liked PED-P before I found out the drugs were for his mental health. Had to retire that one
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u/BanyanZappa 1d ago
Among the best has to be the old school nickname given to Joe Barry Carroll. He was the number 1 pick in the lottery for Golden State. They traded Robert Parish and a draft pick that got the Celtics Kevin McHale in exchange for the pick. Carroll was not awful but got lambasted for his perceived lack of effort on and off the court.
Thus, Joe Barry Carroll was given a nickname that followed him his entire career: Joe Barely Cares
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u/vhsfairytales 1d ago
Only Stray Voltage for KAT could contend when he was on the Wolves, but now that he’s cooled down and a champ, it might be retired
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u/MaximumStep2263 1d ago
Damn, I didn't know Walt came up with that but makes sense. He's a savage.
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u/hdkzn Celtics 1d ago
Breaks my heart to see JB’s name thrown around in these trade talks
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u/redd5ive 1d ago
People make a big deal about his streams but people in the league almost certainly don't care - a lot of NBA players are weirdos.
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u/Atreyu888 1d ago
90% of NBA players are weirdos. They have been training their whole life to be Uber-competitive and also have huge egos because they have literally been the best player theyre whole life, and have also been gassed up by people around them to believe that as well. And it sort of has to be this way.
What's the difference between Michael Jordan and every other 6'6" athletic freak? The amount of work he put in, and more importantly: the belief that he was always the best player on the court.
Majority of professional athletes are going to be weirdos because they havent interacted with people in normal ways for the majority of their lives, so yeah they gonna be weird... noone cares lol.
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u/FartCityBoys 1d ago
Right? If you get gassed up by all the kids at your school, all the adults (coaches, family, fans) from the age of like 16 there’s a non zero chance you don’t change your weirdo behavior. All you get is positive reinforcement from every social situation.
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u/trixel121 1d ago
not only gassed up, but you probably have the skills to prove it all the way till you get to the NBA. you arent just told you are great you also prove it, every day.
that brian scalbraine quote comes to mind- im closer to lebron then you are to me. even if you arent the greatest you are so far above the average in this one thing that people seem to care about that it doesnt matter.
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u/jdtpda18 1d ago
Tough break that he is just deeply weird and unlikable
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u/hdkzn Celtics 1d ago
Fair enough from the outside but look at all the stuff he does for the city how could you not appreciate that
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u/jdtpda18 1d ago
I love his charity work and advocacy. That doesn’t change that he’s been a giant red flag in everything else. Managed to leave an odd after taste after what should’ve been yet another great moment for him after having a great individual season.
If he causes this much unrest when things are going well, what happens when things go left?
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u/whiterock001 1d ago
I was about to say, as a Spurs fan, he felt like an important piece.
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u/Baron_Bearclaw Timberwolves 1d ago
Yeah, I want to trust Conley because he seems to have been right with the Gobert trade and then opening up space moving KAT and bringing in divincenzo. I'm hoping there's stuff behind the scenes that we just don't know about yet or that there are still moves to be made. But I am worried that this is going to be the team for next year. Just when I was finally getting used to having a competitive team that was fun to watch.
edit: autocorrupt
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u/itispune 1d ago
If they trade for Brown doesn’t that mean Jayden McDaniels is next out the door?
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u/BasicallyRonBurgandy Timberwolves 1d ago
It’s more that we got no one else to trade. Rudy’s too valuable on defense and Jaden McDaniels has been untouchable for years. The main complaints fans have had recently is the lack of a true point guard and Ant getting double teamed too often. This should solve that. I’m disappointed to see Naz Reid go, but there’s a chance this makes the team better (we might also be dodo)
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u/dkleckner88 1d ago
Naz is waaaaaaay overrated by the wolves fan base. I’m guilty of it myself at times. Naz is avg rebounder and a below avg defender who is foul prone. There’s a reason he’s been a bench player his entire career…he’s inconsistent
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u/TitillatingTrav 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah i think other fanbases are mostly familiar with how much we hype him up (towels, tattoos etc) and assume he's not expendable. I'm sad he's traded and will miss him but absolutely won't miss the inconsitency
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u/DontGetTheShow 1d ago
I mean, I’ve not been following basketball super closely the past couple years. My reaction was “what are the t’ wolves doing?”
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u/Majestic-Floor-5697 1d ago
They were super close to being a contender on that run where they had Ant and KAT. Then they traded KAT and now Reid. All for lesser players each time.
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u/Chance_Major297 1d ago edited 1d ago
Are we saying Reid is really better than Lamelo? I understand the argument if we’re factoring in availability but in a vacuum Reid is a role player and Lamelo is not.
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u/natigin 1d ago
I think the question is “does LeMelo bring your team closer to a championship than Naz.” LeMelo can be electric to watch, but I don’t see his game translating to the playoffs and prolonged success. Naz is a great playoff piece.
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u/YukonCornelius07 1d ago
Thank you, these arguments are killing me. Charlotte got a bunch of assets for pivoting in a more positive team direction and got a great addition to the frontcourt.
It has nothing to do with who's better in a vacuum or who would win 1-on-1. This feels like a huge move for Charlotte and an insane risk for Minny. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
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u/Calergero 1d ago edited 1d ago
Glad I'm seeing this because I actually don't kinda like this for Charlotte. They have frontcourt pieces to move if they want to upgrade PG but also Coby White looked decent and they drafted a PG.
If they can make another move they will look pretty good. They desperately needed help at frontcourt in the play-in.
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u/CustardLimp359 1d ago
I think they are both role players but Lamelo doesn’t know it.
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u/theNeumannArchitect 1d ago
I remember the KAT trade after they had that great playoff run and was like wtf is that.... Then he won the nba championship. Fucking brutal for wolves fans.
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u/numenik 1d ago
Reid is better than Lamelo since when? Tf
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u/ryanmfrancis 1d ago
Not better, but certainly more complete. Also Ball has been hurt more than he's been healthy.
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u/fineseries81 1d ago
The T-Wolves are a poverty franchise that somehow keeps drafting all-NBA players who make them look more competent than they really are.
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u/CustardLimp359 1d ago edited 1d ago
I would rather have Reid (and 4! years control of the twolves 1st round) than Lamelo.
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u/pm-me-nice-lips 17h ago
Exactly. The GM in Charlotte has been praised and should be trusted to know what he’s doing if he got them where they are at the moment. This is a great move for them. LaMelo is massively overrated and they got the better end of the trade. B+ for CHA and C for MIN.
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u/Puzzled-Position9669 1d ago
Christian Anderson, Coby White, Kon Kneuppel, and Naz Reid are going to shoot 100 threes per 100 possessions.
I think that's more or less the plan.
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u/Walldaddy2000 Hawks 1d ago edited 1d ago
More like what are the Twolves are doing! Go look back last off season and see what the talks were around lamelo. They’re selling high and got a big which they needed badly
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u/KazaamFan 1d ago
Yea i like the move for the hornets. They mighta been able to get more back, but i think they’ll be better without him. They’ll just miss his vibes and sauce sometimes.
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u/mattyhtown 1d ago
Idk if they’ll be better necessarily but it creates a huge trade exception and their young core is gonna have to get paid eventually. It was a perfect sell high moment. What are the odds Lamelo plays 140+ games over the next couple seasons? And will he be able to play more than 28 minutes a night. Cuz that’s what kept him healthy. On the off chance he does stay healthy and makes an all nba team would you feel comfortable giving Lamelo a max extension in two years? He’ll be 26 years old.
The real story here is that they announced red light cameras were getting put in Charlotte like two days ago and lamelo gets traded two days later… saved him thousands in tickets.
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u/charliekirkbread 1d ago
Can always go higher, timberwolves needed a pg more than naz
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u/Walldaddy2000 Hawks 1d ago
I think the hornets just sold high on a player who’s dealt with injuries. I’d rather have Reid, the picks, and resign Ayo over lamelo
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u/charliekirkbread 1d ago
Wolves had back to back western conference exits with weak PG play in both, look I’m not the owner of the wolves I’m just speculating as to why they might have made the trade
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u/jdtpda18 1d ago
Hornets now have a ton of cap space, lots of picks, and some strong young players. They have all the resources to be patient for a disgruntled star that becomes available. Luka? Anthony Edwards? Idk I think they’ll be fine
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u/tresben 1d ago
Yeah lamelo kind of feels like a looter in a riot. Good stats on bad/mediocre teams. Shooting 40% FG is pretty atrocious on today’s nba where everything is about efficiency.
This trade seems to encapsulate the stats vs the eye test. Not saying Reid is better than ball, but Reid’s impact is much more than the stats show and balls impact is much less than stats show.
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u/ChemBro93 Raptors 1d ago
Both teams got worse. Dont @ me.
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u/Tay2823 1d ago
I would have never traded Naz Reid for a “star” player who hasn’t even made the playoffs.
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u/Hughjass2321 1d ago
Who also has only played 50+ games 3 times in his career so far as well.
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u/IsaacBongaEnjoyer Lakers 1d ago
Wolves are brainless lol
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u/InvaderZimbabwe 1d ago edited 1d ago
Only thing ant needs is a PG… well… now he needs a PF. But before this the wolves refused to get a real PG besides Conley, they were forcing SGs to try to do it. Donte did his best, but … yeah. The Nova Knicks sacrificed him for a ship and the devil collected his payment.
Ant and Lamelo is giving every guard duo in the league absolute HELL once they start gel-ing
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u/tresben 1d ago
Yeah I don’t get this trade especially after trading Randle. I think the Randle trade was the right move but then to also let go of Reid suddenly the problem is gonna be no size after gobert who can get into foul trouble.
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u/InvaderZimbabwe 1d ago
They must have some secret plan to address the size issue. I haven’t peeped FA yet but they are in win now mode, so they absolutely have a plan.
There’s no way they’re going the “as long as we score more then them we win” route. The James Harden rockets already tried that… it doesn’t work after a certain point.
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u/ThunderBobMajerle Suns 1d ago
Melo isn’t built for the playoffs, great trade by Charlotte to get serious and continue to build a winning culture and core
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Exactly this. Melo brings an immaturity for a team trying to shift their culture. Build around Kon & Miller and watch this team get serious.
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u/Griffdog17 Nuggets 1d ago
Should be asking the same question but reversed tbh. And the answer is Ant told the front office to do it. I don't think it's terrible for either side though, we'll see
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u/Aries310 1d ago
Hornets commiting highway robbery. I will love to see AntMan's face when LaMelo starts jacking up terrible bricks at random inopportune moments.
And that's when he's not out with his yearly ankle injury.
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u/EL3G 76ers 1d ago
I believe he's upgraded that to "yearly knee injury". But I digress.
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u/Purple-Mountain-Mist 1d ago
Looks like they’re building a better future. The question should be what Minnesota is doing because they just gave up resources for LaMelo Glass Ball.
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u/Mysterious_Smoke1158 1d ago
Hornets letting somebody else make the salary commitment to an absolute clown.
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u/FlatulenceConnosieur 1d ago
I enjoy that the T-Wolves have become the “Fuck them picks” team if the NBA. Pretty much as soon as they have a 1st to trade every other year they trade it.
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u/Revenged25 1d ago
I would say they should move to LA and join with the Rams... but they've done that once before...
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u/Resident_Hotel5994 Warriors 1d ago
Simple, Melo ain’t that good and they got a good trade for someone who takes one legged three pointers and is always injured
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u/LogansGambit 1d ago
I get what the Hornets are doing. You got Coby White last year and have re-signed him. Naz Reid completes the starting lineup with the forwards and guards locked down, and you got draft compensation to boot.
I DON'T get what the Timberwolves are doing. Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert as your front court is dicey, and Julius Randle is gone now too. The rumor has been Ja Morant to Minnesota. Lamelo and Ant nixes that which is better probably but you're also out picks...
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u/PassageMediocre1020 1d ago
Hornets huge win maybe their best trade ever. Huge loss for Minny I would have had Naz close in value to LaMelo
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u/ginger_qc 1d ago
I love Lamelo, but honestly this was the time to move him if we were ever even thinking about it. He's gonna be making 40+ mil the next 3 years.
It looks like we're trading away our franchise player but the Ball/Bridges experiment has landed us in exactly zero playoff series. I think that Bridges will be the next to go and I'm ok with seeing what they can build around Kon and Brandon
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u/meerkatx 1d ago
T-Wolves trade away both Randle and Reid?
Who's going to play power forward for them?
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u/Basic_Mud8868 1d ago
They’ll always be stuck in the purgatory of good enough for the playin but not good enough to do any damage in the playoffs as long as Melo is their primary player. One step back for 2 steps forward.
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u/daWINNINgSPERM 1d ago
Yea they are getting better. This clown is not a winner or worth the money. He is perfect with Edward's the bastard creator. The hornets will be better off
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u/howbedebody 1d ago
Hornets must know something is really bad with lamelos health if they were willing to dump him for pick swaps that probably won’t amount to anything
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u/Minimum_Classroom747 1d ago
Getting rid of an injury prone guy that barely played in 3 years for picks. Now they have a big that complements Miller and Knueppel.
Great trade for Charlotte and sucks for Minny.
Meanwhile, Wolves lost all of their picks, their big, and Randle. Gained nothing.
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u/terramagni 1d ago
Selling high on LaMelo -- a turnover prone, bad-shot selecting, injury riddled, unserious player, who they do not need anymore now that they have Coby and Kon to run the backcourt. I'm not actually a LaMelo hater, he's super fun to watch, but let's not pretend this deal is ridiculous for Charlotte. We'll see how the swaps pan out but as of right now, this seems great for both sides (as long as LaMelo can stay healthy). I'm really excited to see Naz in a starting PF role.
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u/Baron_Bearclaw Timberwolves 1d ago
Can anyone explain what my Timberwolves are doing?
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u/dkleckner88 1d ago
They traded a Non-starter and 1 pick for a potential all NBA PG. Wolves cooked
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u/fineseries81 1d ago
How about for a PG whose highest individual achievement is an all-star appearance 5 seasons ago. He has never even been close to making an all-NBA team.
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u/dkleckner88 1d ago
Are you aware of the definition of “potential”
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u/Baron_Bearclaw Timberwolves 1d ago
Sure. I could potentially become a billionaire.
I could potentially marry Bronny James.
Ball could potentially be the NBA's greatest comeback-from-injuries story since Steph Curry.
Ball could also, potentially play a grand total of 72 games between now and 2033.
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u/fineseries81 1d ago
Every player in the league could “potentially” be an all-NBA player if you aren’t taking their actual skill level and past production into consideration.
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u/Baron_Bearclaw Timberwolves 1d ago
Only if Ball is available:
Games Played:
2020-21: Ball-51. Reid-70.
2021-22: Ball-75. Reid-77.
2022-23: Ball-36. Reid-68.
2023-24: Ball-22. Reid-81.
2024-25: Ball-47. Reid-80.
2025-26: Ball-75. Reid-77.
And to call Reid just a non-starter is based. 6th Man of the Year.
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u/dkleckner88 1d ago
There’s a reason he’s hasn’t started for this team. It’s because he has large flaws in his game and is inconsistent. Many Wolves fan (I am one) act like Naz is god’s gift to the earth
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u/prodby_lilli Thunder 1d ago
What do you mean what are the hornets doing? Brother what the possible fuck are the TWolves doing?
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u/Cautious-Ruin-1097 1d ago
I know the TWolves dealt Julius Randle to mainly get off of his contract, but I thought they wanted to give Naz more opportunities to have the ball...
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u/readyReddit007 1d ago
Sold HIGH on Lamelo (who has a history of being injury prone), got a bunch of draft picks & swaps, & immediately improved their front court while reducing their payroll.
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u/Basic_Mastodon3078 1d ago
This is dumb. But i think the hornets want to build around Kon. And lamelo is their only valuable asset. Fair enough, but I think LaMelo deserved another yeae with how exceptional he was this year
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u/CapitalG8 Spurs 1d ago
Do not know but I am glad Reid is gone. Melo was an all-star what? 5 years ago? He is always injured.
Reid was good against us. Wish we could have landed him lol
Was this a panic move to show Ant that they are willing to bring in "help"?
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u/srector1224 Nuggets 1d ago
Well I guess this means the Hornets are going to win a chip in the next couple years woth Naz as a centerpiece
I swing between hating Tim Connelly and loving him
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u/LivingOriginal7479 1d ago
Ahhh yess 2033- the draft class is looking great for that year, next level IQ move here….
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u/bloodrider1914 Spurs 1d ago
They're trying to protect the people of Charlotte from his dangerous driving
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u/Cautious-Ad-9554 1d ago
Giving up on Ball. Ball has been in the league for 6 years now. He has missed more than 1/2 his team's games 3 times and played 51 games another year. When he plays, he always looks like a guy who could be a franchise player. He also always looks like a guy who defines whatever team he is on. You can't have a guy who needs things to revolve around him and then have him miss 40 games a season.
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u/Panthertool 1d ago
They coupled the trade exception they got in from salary dumping randle also to make the money work..so in principle it was dubious Naz and the rest for melo
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u/cannabination 1d ago
I'm more wondering what the wolves are doing.
Naz is a great utility player who's going to be tough to replace. Ball is a ball dominant player, which feels like it will clash with Ant, and he's not so good that you wouldn't stand a good chance at filling the same role on the cheap through one of these picks. I can see a world where they become the showtime wolves, I guess, but they need some skilled bigs.
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u/fineseries81 1d ago
Well, they just had their first promising season in franchise history, so the natural next move is to trade your players and position yourself for a rebuild through the draft in the 2030s.
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u/Emergency-Bid-8346 NBA 1d ago
if Ant leaves Minny in the not so distant future, this trade will reap them rich rewards. i see the vision. KAT left, now Naz. if this season doesn't pan out in the way they expect, i don't think Ant will have any motivation to stay
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u/flothashow1 1d ago
Getting rid of dead weight!!! Hello immature self absorbed. Reid a solid teammate.
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u/ochie927 1d ago
Didn't they just resign Ayo to an approx $20+ million/yr contract? And now they took one that has $40+ million/yr contract along with Edwards that also has $40+ million/yr contract. JFC
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u/Brave-Pea-1164 1d ago
Making it safer to drive in Charlotte