Anthony Edwards didn’t leave much room for the old chatter to survive Wolves media day.
For another offseason, the same tired storyline had been floating around: that Edwards wasn’t really happy in Minnesota, that he wanted Atlanta, that a bigger market was the only place he could fully shine. But at media day, Edwards sounded like a player fully bought into what the Timberwolves are doing now.
“I’m gonna miss Naz for sure. That's my brother, but I'm super happy about the changes in the locker room,” Edwards said.
He didn’t stop there.
“I feel like I'm a natural two guard, at heart. I never thought I could develop any PG skills. Finchy harps on me passing the ball, but we got LaMelo, I'm happy,” Edwards said.
That’s a pretty direct answer to all the noise. Minnesota enters this season with two new starters and a different identity, and Edwards made it clear he’s on board with the makeover. After the last couple of playoff disappointments, the roster clearly needed a reset, and the Wolves went for it.
The emotional piece is obvious with Naz Reid, who had been Edwards’ teammate since day one in the NBA. Losing a guy that close always stings. But the basketball side of the move is just as obvious: if you’re bringing in a point guard of LaMelo Ball’s caliber, something has to go out the door.
What stood out just as much was who Edwards didn’t mention. Julius Randle was supposed to be Minnesota’s second option last season, but the fit soured badly by the end. After Randle’s inexcusable performance in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs and what looked like him quitting on the team in exit interviews, it wasn’t hard to see why there wasn’t much heartbreak attached to that departure.
The bigger picture here is simple. Edwards looks more comfortable in a setup that lets him be what he is: a scorer first, not a full-time organizer. He’d rather attack the rim and put the ball in the basket than spend possessions running the offense, and he said as much at media day.
So the idea that Edwards has been itching to get out of Minnesota took another hit. The Timberwolves have retooled around him, and with youth and experience mixed together, the roster is built to give him a real chance to contend through much of his prime. By every sign coming out of media day, that’s exactly the kind of situation he wants.
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Chris Finch Just Framed The Wolves Biggest Playoff Debate
Chris Finch has spent enough time around the playoffs to know the old formulas can stop working fast, and he used that backdrop to frame a bigger conversation about how Minnesota wants to operate going forward. The Timberwolves coach pointed to the limitations of teams that lean too heavily on one ball-dominant creator, then tied that lesson to the kind of roster balance he believes gives a team a better chance when the games tighten in May.
Minnesota, in Finchs view, is moving toward a more layered attack instead of asking one player to carry every possession. With LaMelo Ball in the mix, the Wolves can ease Anthony Edwards into more of a scoring role and spread the decision-making around, which fits Finchs bigger point about depth and interchangeable pieces. The question now is whether that approach can give Minnesota the kind of playoff edge so many star-driven teams spend years chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Rob Dillingham Faces The Same Problem Timberwolves Fans Know Well
Rob Dillinghams path has taken another turn, and it comes with a familiar kind of challenge for Timberwolves fans who have watched him fight for a foothold at the NBA level. After struggling to secure consistent playing time in Minnesota and then again in Chicago, the young guard has now landed in Charlotte, where the opportunity looks fresh but the competition for minutes does not.
The Hornets already have a crowded backcourt, and Dillingham is walking into a situation where every possession will matter. Questions about his shooting, his physicality and how much overall impact he can make have followed him from stop to stop, and now the pressure shifts to proving he can carve out a role before the guard rotation closes in around him. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Camp Battle Could Shake Up Minnesotas Back-End Roster
The Timberwolves have quietly filled out their training camp roster with a trio of newcomers in Norchad Omier, Drew Timme and KJ Martin, giving the front office a few more names to sort through as the season approaches. Omier and Timme come in as undrafted players with G League and limited NBA experience, while Martin brings the kind of prior NBA background that can make a back-end roster spot a little more interesting than it first appears.
Minnesota is looking at all of that talent in the context of a broader camp group that also includes additions like LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, which should make for a more crowded evaluation process than usual. The real intrigue is how the Wolves sort the depth chart once the competition settles in, especially with the kind of two-way opening that can turn an overlooked camp invite into a real chance to stay. [Read more 🡒]