Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball reportedly offered to pay for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ flight to Paris, a small but revealing gesture as the team gathered overseas for summer workouts.
The trip itself fits a bigger picture in Minnesota. Nearly the entire Timberwolves roster flew to Paris on a recent night to work out together, giving the team a chance to build chemistry away from the normal offseason routine. For a group that has changed shape over the summer, that kind of early togetherness matters.
A different Timberwolves team than a year ago
This time last year, the Timberwolves were coming off two straight trips to the Western Conference finals and had brought back almost the entire roster. This summer looks very different. Last season ended with a second-round exit against the San Antonio Spurs, and Tim Connelly has already made major changes, including trading Naz Reid and draft capital to the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball while Julius Randle was shipped to the Brooklyn Nets.
The roster turnover has changed the identity of the team as well. Minnesota is moving away from a frontcourt-size identity and toward a leaner group that needs to move the ball, space the floor and run in transition. That makes the Paris workouts more than a photo opportunity. They are an early chance to build habits for a new version of the team.
Edwards steps further into the leadership role
Edwards has been central to that transition. At summer league in July, Chris Finch said Edwards was extremely excited about the Ball deal and needed to combine voice with everyday presence. Finch added that his voice has grown intelligently and appropriately over the last few seasons, and now it has to be paired with consistent day-to-day leadership.
That is the real takeaway from the Paris story. Edwards is not just one of the team’s best players; he is now one of its longest-tenured players along with Jaden McDaniels. With multiple veterans gone, Minnesota needs that next layer of leadership to come from within, and Edwards is clearly being asked to help set the tone.
The exchange in Paris also fits the way Edwards has carried himself around teammates. When he greeted Rudy Gobert, he joked, “That looks like Walt Disney, Rudy,” a reminder that the moment had a lighter side even as the team was getting work done. The bigger point, though, is simple: Edwards is helping welcome new faces while also taking on more responsibility for the group around him.
For Minnesota, the trip to Paris is about more than travel. It is about building connection for a reshaped roster, and it is about Edwards showing that his role is growing right along with the Timberwolves’ expectations.
