The Minnesota Timberwolves’ search for a starting-caliber power forward has a pretty obvious name attached to it: P.J. Washington.
It’s not a simple path, though. Minnesota would have to navigate a trade market that doesn’t exactly hand out frontcourt help for free, and the Dallas Mavericks are one of the few teams that could realistically be open to moving a player like Washington.
The reason is simple enough: Dallas has a crowded group of power forward types, with Cooper Flagg, Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and Caleb Martin all in the mix.
Among that group, Washington stands out as the cleanest fit for the Wolves. Martin is not viewed as a dependable rotation piece right now, and Marshall is more of a wing than a true big forward. Washington, on the other hand, brings the kind of skill package Minnesota could use: corner 3-point shooting, a workable post game, and strong rebounding.
The problem for Minnesota is the price. After dealing most of their remaining draft capital in the LaMelo Ball trade, the Wolves do not have much pick value left to work with. In a deal for Washington and his $17 million salary for the 2026-2027 season, Josh Green - the player Minnesota got along with Ball, who is making $14.6 million - would have to be included.
That still would not be enough on its own. Dallas would need more than Green’s expiring contract, which is where Minnesota would have to add a sweetener. Either Joan Beringer or Terrence Shannon Jr. would need to be part of the package, and one of those names clearly makes more sense than the other.
Shannon is the more difficult piece to part with emotionally, but the roster math points in that direction. Ball’s arrival makes Shannon more expendable because of his need to have the ball in his hands.
Chris Finch already found last season that Shannon was not effective as a corner spacer, and the better version of him came when he was allowed to initiate offense. The issue now is that Minnesota has plenty of on-ball players, and that pushes Shannon further down the pecking order.
If the Wolves did land Washington, the fit is easy to see. He is not an exact stand-in for Naz Reid, but there is overlap in the way he can help the offense.
Washington would get open corner looks thanks to Ball’s passing and Anthony Edwards drawing extra attention from defenses. He can also punish smaller defenders in the post with a hook shot and floater that give him another layer beyond the perimeter.
Reid is still the better shooter and ball handler, but Washington has the edge defensively, and the offense is close enough to make him a serious target. With so few realistic power forward options available, Washington looks like the best one on the board for Minnesota.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Just Got A Serious Warning About Anthony Edwards Future
The Timberwolves have already spent part of the offseason reshaping the roster, bringing in LaMelo Ball while moving on from Julius Randle and Naz Reid, and the result is a thinner frontcourt with Rudy Gobert now standing as the lone dependable anchor there. Even with Anthony Edwards still at the center of everything Minnesota wants to be, the broader picture is hard to ignore: the team has not yet turned his rise into the kind of sustained success that usually keeps a franchise star locked in for the long haul.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has even gone as far as to flag Edwards as one of the next stars who could eventually ask out if the Timberwolves keep coming up short. The concern is less about one bad stretch than the possibility of another season that starts unevenly or ends with more frustration than progress, and that is the kind of backdrop that can change the conversation around a player of Edwards' stature fast. [Read more 🡒]
Why LeBron To The Timberwolves Suddenly Feels Real
LeBron James next move has become one of the leagues most intriguing summer storylines, and Minnesota has quietly worked its way into the conversation. With his split from the Lakers now looming and the possibility that he would consider a veteran-minimum deal, the Timberwolves suddenly look less like a long shot and more like a team that could at least make a basketball case for itself.
The appeal starts with fit and ends with opportunity. Minnesota already has enough talent to matter, but adding James would give the Wolves a different kind of gravity, one that could help them chase the franchises first championship while giving him a chance to change the story again in a fourth NBA city. The question is whether that kind of pairing is realistic, or whether this is just the rare rumor that feels plausible because the pieces almost line up too neatly. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Are About To Learn If Joan Beringer Is Ready
Joan Beringer is about to get a much closer look than he did a year ago, and the timing matters for the Timberwolves. With Julius Randle and Naz Reid unavailable, Minnesota is expected to lean on Beringer in a meaningful way this season, turning what once looked like a developmental project into a real rotation question. He flashed promise as a rookie, but the Wolves still need to know how much of that upside is ready to translate into steady NBA minutes.
Summer League will offer the first clear checkpoint, and it should reveal whether Beringer is moving beyond raw tools and into dependable production. The biggest questions are familiar for a young big: staying disciplined on defense without getting into foul trouble, and adding more to his game offensively than just finishing plays around the rim. If he can show progress in those areas, Minnesotas frontcourt picture gets a lot more interesting. [Read more 🡒]