Timberwolves' shocking LaMelo Ball trade eliminates Spurs' most entertaining rival

The Spurs just lost their most exciting frenemy. The Hornets just traded LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Timberwolves for Naz Reid and a bunch of picks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Ball was supposed to be Charlotte's franchise player, so that lets you know how they feel about that six years into his career.

Naz Reid was a problem for San Antonio in the playoffs. His outside shot-making, combined with his size, athleticism, and ability to put the ball on the floor, provided a matchup issue for the Silver and Black. Well, now he's gone. I don't know who will play power forward for Minnesota now, considering they also just shipped out Julius Randle, but it won't be Ball or Green.

Spurs and Timberwolves had a rivalry worth watching

The second round of the playoffs brought Spurs Nation some of the cleanest excitement possible during the postseason run. Portland was too easy, OKC's flopping and dirty play were frustrating, and Victor Wembanyama's fatigue ultimately sabotaged the Knicks' series, as well as the team's overall inexperience. The back-and-forth with the Timberwolves had some crazy moments, but overall, it was a pretty fun experience.

Everything from the interviews to the performances on the floor was fun. San Antonio controlled much of that series, but that was the case through most of their run. It will continue to be the case because, despite the league-wide trend to prep their rosters to stop Wembanyama, there's only one Wembanyama, and he's the apex predator in this league now.

Anthony Edwards needs the right kind of help to ensure the Timberwolves are good enough to matter. Spurs fans hold no fear of Ant-Man in their hearts, but rather, they enjoyed playing against him very much because they like him. The 24-year-old kid from Georgia is about the right stuff; he's funny, shows respect, and plays an exciting brand of basketball.

The Timberwolves may never feel like the same opponent again

Now the Timberwolves have completely reshaped their identity. Ball is an okay talent, but he's underwhelmed throughout his Hornets tenure. The Chino Hill product has been injury-prone and shoots 42% from the field for his career.

Minny had something working for them, but instead of leaning into their size and physicality, they became more perimeter-oriented by adding an inefficient social media star. The matchup just isn't as compelling with this dynamic.

The Spurs will have plenty of rivals moving forward. OKC isn't going anywhere, Memphis just added size, and Houston keeps making tweaks. But there was something uniquely entertaining about watching Ant-Man and the Wolves push San Antonio, then seeing SA push back. That rivalry had the makings of something special, and after this trade, it's likely a thing of the past.

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