The Timberwolves may have upgraded their talent this offseason, but they also gave Houston something it did not have before: a size edge.
Minnesota’s move for LaMelo Ball brought in a high-end creator, the kind of addition that changes the shape of an offense. But the price of that swing was steep. The Wolves sent out Naz Reid in that deal and Julius Randle in another, stripping away a chunk of the frontcourt depth and leaving the roster looking much lighter heading into next season.
That matters because Minnesota had spent the last few years building around bulk and force. Anthony Edwards brings his own physical edge to the guard spot, and the Wolves leaned into that with a lineup built to punish teams inside and on the glass. Jaden McDaniels gave them length at small forward, Rudy Gobert anchored the middle, and the power forward spot provided real scoring punch.
That spot is where the biggest shift has happened. Last season, Randle gave Minnesota 21 points per game there, while Reid added 14 points per game off the bench. Keeping both also gave the Wolves the option to play big in ways that few teams could match - a look Houston knows well.
But the Rockets have chosen a different path. They made their own big addition last summer without paying a massive price, and they’ve stayed committed to size and flexibility instead of chasing the kind of splash Minnesota just made. That approach may not land them a player like Ball, but it also keeps them from surrendering the kind of package that would be required to get him.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is betting that Gobert can keep the paint under control while the rest of the roster gets smaller. The Wolves may also end up asking other players to fill larger roles and bigger spots because the backcourt is now stronger than the frontcourt.
That gamble could get messy if rebounding becomes a problem. Minnesota finished 11th in the league in rebounding percentage last season.
Houston finished first. And next season, the gap could widen, with the Wolves getting smaller while the Rockets could actually add more size if Steven Adams stays healthy.
So even if the Wolves are better on paper, they may have created a brutal matchup for themselves. Houston has the defensive personnel to make life hard on Ball and Edwards, and it now has the size to attack Minnesota’s new weakness. If these teams meet in a playoff series, the Rockets could be the ones with the clearer advantage.
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Kevin Durant Rumors Could Suddenly Complicate The Rockets Long-Term Plan
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For the Rockets, the real issue is less about what Miami wants than what it might be willing to give up to get there. Any deal of that caliber would almost certainly require serious assets and could involve multiple teams, which is the sort of trade machine scenario that can quietly alter the market for everyone else. If the Heat go hunting for another high-end name, Houstons long-term plan could feel a little less settled than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]