LeBron James still has not decided, and the Minnesota Timberwolves still have a hole at power forward shaped exactly like him.

Tom and Josh dig into LeBron James's free-agent fit and why Cleveland, Miami, and Golden State each ask him to do something he cannot really do anymore. Harden and Donovan Mitchell are going to eat more possessions than Ant and LaMelo ever would. Giannis and Bam cannot shoot, so Miami has to grind out every ugly game. Golden State is assembling the senior Olympics roster and banking on Anthony Davis staying healthy. Meanwhile, all the Wolves have left to offer is a minimum, which is pennies compared to what he is worth, and he fills the one hole they actually have. Tom is a homer and says so out loud. He also does not think the Wolves are getting him.

Then the LaMelo Ball introductory press conference, which was mostly boring except for the parts that were not. Tim Connelly looked like he needed to run to the bathroom the entire time. Asked what hurt most in the trade, he did not say the first-round pick. He said Naz. LaMelo got asked if he watches Olivia Miles and said, "She cold," which she is. Also, his on-court personality did not match his presser personality at all.

Summer League gets a reality check. Joan Beringer looked like a real NBA rotation player in the one game he played before back tightness sat him, and he is progressing exactly the way you hope a young big progresses. Everyone else, not so much. Rocco Zikarsky is almost as tall as Wemby but cannot move like Wemby. Isaiah Evans has not hit a three yet, though the late trade earns him some grace. Zyon Pullin might be the best-looking player on that floor, not named Beringer.

Plus Terrence Shannon Jr. cashing in on the number one jersey, Josh Green quietly posting one of the best on-off net ratings in the league, the Jaylen Brown trade that makes no sense for Boston, Giannis to Miami, the Kawhi aspiration mess holding up Toronto, the Lakers overpaying for Walker Kessler, and where the Wolves land in a wide open Western Conference.

Go Wolves.

NBA free agency, Timberwolves podcast, NBA offseason, NBA Summer League, Western Conference

This one hurts and thrills in equal measure. We lost Naz Reid. The towels, the undrafted-to-Sixth-Man-of-the-Year story, the fan favorite who filled the arena and our hearts. We are not okay about it, and we are keeping every piece of Naz memorabilia we own.

But then LaMelo Ball walked through the door, and we are going all in on Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. Buy, buy, buy. Ant finally gets a 6'8" point guard who pulls the double team off him and swings it back for a clean look. Rudy finally gets a lead guard who throws lobs he can actually catch and runs real pick-and-roll. We came in mourning and left grinning ear to ear.

We break it all down: the Julius Randle salary dump, sliding 28 to 33 for Isaiah Evans, and the LaMelo and Josh Green blockbuster. Where LaMelo ranks among NBA point guards, the durability and defense worries we are not ignoring, and why the second timeline starts right now. Two feelings at the same time, and honestly, we have never been more excited about this team.

Pour one out for Naz. Then come dream with us. Go Wolves.

LaMelo Ball trade, Naz Reid Hornets, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves offseason, NBA trade reaction.

Wolves are out. Spurs in 6. Tom and Josh break down the playoff exit, the offseason questions, and the reasons for hope.

Topics include:

• The Denver win we'll never forget (Ayo's 43, Jaden's smack talk, Rudy shutting down Jokic)
• The Spurs reality check (Wemby is real, and not as ethical as advertised)
• Ant's cagey postgame and what it really meant
• DDV's absence and what it cost us
• Championship habits and the regular-season slide
• The Julius Randle problem and why he might be playing himself off the roster
• Naz Reid to the starting lineup
• Why Tom wants Kyrie Irving (yes, really)
• Reasons for hope: Beringer's flash, TJ Shannon's leap, Ayo as the closer, Bones bringing the joy, Rocco cooking in Iowa
• Spurs vs Thunder and who we're rooting for

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