The Minnesota Timberwolves have spent the summer acting like a team that’s done waiting around. They already landed former third overall pick LaMelo Ball in a blockbuster trade earlier in the offseason, then followed that up by agreeing to a deal with former Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga in free agency this week.
Now they’ve gone a step further to make the Kuminga move work.
Minnesota had to clear salary in order to use the taxpayer mid-level exception, and it did exactly that on Friday night by sending Josh Green and cash to the Utah Jazz for John Konchar and Cody Williams, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Timberwolves will keep Williams, then waive-and-stretch Konchar’s contract, which leaves them with one open roster spot for a veteran minimum signing.
The deal creates a four-player swap on paper, but the bigger story is how Minnesota has chosen to lean into the gamble. Green and Konchar are steady veterans who can help a rotation, but their ceilings are limited.
Kuminga is the swing piece here, a player who has flashed star-level upside without putting it together consistently over five seasons. Minnesota is now betting on that upside and, according to the source report, is prepared to hand him a starting role even though he’s done it in fewer than a third of his career games.
Williams is the other intriguing piece. The 21-year-old has been a disappointment since the Jazz took him 10th overall two years ago, but the Timberwolves are choosing to take the chance on his potential rather than hold onto Konchar, who makes effectively the same salary this season.
Shams Charania reported, “The Timberwolves are expected to keep Cody Williams, the No. 10 pick in 2024, and waive-and-stretch John Konchar, sources said. They found a home for Josh Green on a Jazz team that wanted an additional 3-and-D wing; moving his $14.7 million deal gives Minnesota the salary space… ”
Taken together, Ball, Kuminga and Williams give Minnesota a roster built around risk. The Timberwolves have made it clear they don’t believe the current group was enough to match up with the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder in a seven-game series, and they’re trying to close that gap even if the whole thing comes with real downside.
That stands in sharp contrast to Golden State. The Warriors are expected to bring back the same roster, which amounts to an admission that this is a gap year. They may have significant cap space next offseason to rework the team, but that won’t soothe many fans with Stephen Curry now 38 years old.
It’s hard to picture the Warriors taking the kind of swing Minnesota just made, whether on a high-upside free agent or in a major trade. The source report points to the Ball deal as the kind of move Golden State has avoided, even though it cost Minnesota Julius Randle and Naz Reid. That caution has become a pattern for the Warriors in recent years, while the Timberwolves keep pressing forward with the hope of winning now and keeping Anthony Edwards happy long term.
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