Jonathan Kuminga’s first two preseason games with the Timberwolves have already shown why Minnesota took the swing.
He arrived on a deal that was essentially a one-year contract, passing on a more lucrative Lakers offer that would have brought longer-term security. That choice put Kuminga in a familiar spot: bet on himself, play his way into something bigger, and do it in a role that may not always show up cleanly in the box score.
But Kuminga says that’s not how he’s approaching it.
“Don’t really have much to prove,” Kuminga said during training camp. “Just win games somehow.
Playing defense. Not taking a shot.
Running the floor for others to get easy buckets. Just those smaller things.”
So far, Minnesota has seen both versions of what he might become.
Against the Bucks in the preseason opener in Milwaukee Monday night, Kuminga’s value was easy to spot. He scored eight points, but the number mattered less than how he got them.
He attacked the rim in transition and in the halfcourt, giving the Wolves a downhill threat that fits alongside their on-ball heavy stars in LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and Jaden McDaniels. Because he was getting to the basket, his shaky spacing had less of a chance to hurt the offense.
That’s the version Minnesota needs most. Kuminga has spent parts of his career as an isolation-heavy scorer, and he’s a 33% career three-point shooter, but the Wolves don’t need him to be a pure floor-spacer. They need him to be disruptive, athletic, and willing to keep pressure on the defense.
There have also been encouraging signs when the ball is in his hands. Kuminga has shown flashes of a dynamic one-on-one player who can create something when a possession breaks down, especially with Minnesota’s reserves on the floor. He has also been making smart passes in camp and preseason, and those have caught the attention of his head coach.
Defensively, the fit looks cleaner by the game. Kuminga’s switchability has been on full display in both preseason outings, and at 6’7”, he has the size and quickness to handle perimeter assignments against faster teams.
The second game, though, was a reminder of the downside.
Kuminga had two points, went 1-of-9 from the field and 0-of-3 from deep in 19 minutes against Indiana. An off night by itself is not the issue. The bigger question is what happens when the Wolves run into a defense that can crowd him and take away the easy stuff.
That’s where the concern starts to show. If Kuminga isn’t crashing, rolling, and finding ways to score as an athletic finisher, his offense can disappear quickly because the outside shot is not a reliable fallback. Indiana defended Minnesota far better than Milwaukee did, and that showed in how difficult Kuminga’s looks became.
It also sharpened the spacing issue with Rudy Gobert. When Kuminga and Gobert share the floor and the attack stalls, the lane can get crowded in a hurry. Minnesota has to keep finding ways to put Kuminga in motion and let him play to his strengths against whatever defense is in front of him.
Rebounding is another part of the equation. Finch has liked Kuminga’s effort on the boards in preseason, but he has only three rebounds total in two games. The Wolves have had issues on the defensive glass overall, particularly when Finch goes away from Gobert and uses Joan Beringer.
That fits a larger reality for Minnesota, which is working through its smallest version since 2022, when Jarred Vanderbilt was alongside Karl-Anthony Towns in the starting lineup. That season ended with the Grizzlies beating the Wolves on the glass in the first round of the playoffs, a result that helped push Minnesota toward trading for Gobert. Since then, Gobert has averaged 11.7 rebounds per game, and at 34, he remains one of the league’s most dependable defensive rebounders.
Even so, the Wolves do not have much margin for error with their size. They need more rebounding from the rest of the roster, and Kuminga is part of that solution.
He does not need to become a high-volume rebounder, but he does need to box out with consistency and force. If he does that while keeping up the perimeter defense he has shown and continuing to attack downhill no matter the matchup, he can become a major piece for Minnesota - whether or not he’s thinking in those terms.
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