Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball helped bring the Minnesota Timberwolves together in Paris for offseason workouts and team-building ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
According to The Athletic, Edwards and Ball offered to cover the cost of the trip for the entire roster. Nearly every Wolves player attended, combining basketball workouts with time together away from the court.
The gesture also highlighted Edwards’ growing leadership responsibilities after Minnesota lost several veteran voices, including Julius Randle, Kyle Anderson and Mike Conley.
Naz Reid was also traded to Charlotte in the deal that brought Ball to Minnesota.
“He’s extremely excited about the [Ball] deal,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said.
“Now, it’s up to him to take the next step in leadership. His voice has grown intelligently and appropriately over the last few seasons. And now, it’s got to be the combination of the voice plus the everyday presence.”
Rudy Gobert helped organize the activities in his native France and used the trip as his first opportunity to work on the court with Ball.
Minnesota hopes Ball’s passing ability can create additional scoring opportunities for Gobert, particularly through lobs.
Edwards has previously stressed the importance of teammates spending time together during the offseason.
“I think winning starts with being together, and it starts in the summertime, man,” Edwards said before last season. “We’ve got to be together. We’ve got to be a team.”
Timberwolves begin building new-look chemistry: https://t.co/1SmtxDmzkT
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 11, 2026
