Jonathan Kuminga arrives in Minnesota with a clear path back to the kind of scoring efficiency that made him such a useful weapon early in his career.
The 6-foot-7 forward has never been a steady 3-point shooter. Outside of the 2022-23 season, when he hit 37.0 percent from deep, he has topped out at 33.6 percent in his other four NBA seasons. Even with that limitation, Kuminga has still found ways to score efficiently because of what he does inside the arc, especially around the basket.
That edge has slipped some over the last two seasons. Kuminga shot 45.4 percent in 2024-25 and 46.3 percent in 2025-26, down from over 50 percent from the field in each of his first three seasons after entering the league as the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft at age 19. A bigger chunk of his attempts has come from outside, but his 3-point volume has not jumped much.
The more striking dip came on two-point shots. Since 2024-25, Kuminga has converted 51.3 percent of those attempts, a drop from 58.6 percent over his first three seasons. And last season, the falloff near the rim was even more noticeable: after making 73.4 percent of his tries within three feet in the season before, he dropped to 60.9 percent in 2025-26.
That is where Minnesota comes in. The Timberwolves want to push the pace, and that style should put Kuminga in position to get easy looks in transition if he runs the floor with them. Their free-flowing offense and LaMelo Ball's playmaking could also help LaMelo Ball.
Minnesota has already seen what Kuminga can do when he gets comfortable around the hoop. In the 2025 Western Conference semifinals against the Warriors, he was pushed into a bigger role after Stephen Curry got hurt in Game 1. Over Games 2 through 5, Kuminga finished well near the rim and posted scoring totals of 18, 30, 23, and 26 points.
The Wolves would certainly take a boost from a better outside shot, but the stronger bet is on Kuminga leaning into what has worked before. There is more evidence that he can finish at the rim, and Minnesota is set up to give him that chance.
In Other News...
Chris Finch Now Faces A Wolves Challenge He Cant Ease Into
With Naz Reid gone, Chris Finch is being asked to reshape the Timberwolves interior rotation while also keeping an eye on how the roster is shifting around him. One of the biggest immediate changes is Joan Beringer stepping into a larger backup center role, and Finch has been candid about the fact that Beringer is still very much in the growth stage of his career. It is the kind of adjustment a coach can usually ease into over time, but the Wolves do not have that luxury now.
Finch also has to layer in a new look after the additions of LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, which means the old habits and old answers are not going to carry over cleanly. He has already pointed back to the challenges of last season and the changes on his staff, including Pablo Prigionis promotion to lead assistant coach, as part of the broader reset. The Wolves are trying to build a different sort of identity, and Finchs job now is to make those moving parts fit fast. [Read more 🡒]
Wolves Camp Cut Creates An Awkward Iowa Wolves Question
Minnesotas camp roster continues to take shape, and one of the more routine parts of that process arrived this week when Stephen Thompson was waived by the Timberwolves, according to the NBAs official transaction log. Thompson had only recently signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal, the kind of move that often signals a chance to compete in camp while keeping the door open to a G League path if the NBA roster does not stick.
For the Wolves, the next step is where things get a little less straightforward. Thompson could still end up with the Iowa Wolves, but that route depends on a rights issue that has to be sorted out through Wisconsin before he can suit up for Minnesotas G League affiliate this season. It is the sort of small but important roster wrinkle that often sits in the background of camp cuts, and for Iowa, it could determine whether a familiar developmental opportunity is actually available. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Could Get A Huge Bench Boost Sooner Than Expected
Donte DiVincenzos offseason recovery has become one of the more closely watched subplots for Minnesota, because the guards potential return could give the Timberwolves a much-needed lift off the bench. He tore his Achilles in late April and had surgery shortly after, putting his availability for the coming season in doubt, but the teams outlook on his recovery has remained encouraging.
Jayson Tatums path back from a similar injury offers a rough benchmark for what Minnesota hopes to see, both in timing and impact. The Timberwolves believe DiVincenzo could be back sooner than many expected, and if that window holds, it would give them another reliable piece as they try to deepen the rotation and stabilize the second unit. [Read more 🡒]