The Minnesota Timberwolves are staring at a tricky roster squeeze, but Donte DiVincenzo still looks like the one player they can’t afford to jettison.
After the LaMelo Ball trade left Minnesota hard-capped at the second apron, the team’s latest move only tightened the math. With Jonathan Kuminga agreeing to a two-year, $12.4 million deal, the Wolves still need to clear about $3 million in room.
In theory, that could come from trading DiVincenzo - though his injury makes that a tough sell - or by waiving and stretching his contract. Neither path sounds clean.
That’s why ESPN’s Bobby Marks mattered so much when he said Thursday that he would “bet” his 401K that DiVincenzo won’t be moved, adding that he “expects” the guard to return “sometime soon.”
ESPN also reported that Minnesota will try to trade Josh Green or waive him and stretch his contract before Saturday’s 4 p.m. CT deadline.
So the roster picture is still fluid. But even with the new cap pressure, the Timberwolves don’t appear to be seriously entertaining the idea of moving on from DiVincenzo.
The Wolves continue to make a point to market Divincenzo this offseason. A lot probably has to do with him being around a lot doing rehab but they also are making sure he knows he's wanted. https://t.co/xLR0TBKlF0
- On The Prowl (@ontheprowl_MN) August 26, 2026
There is an argument for taking the healthier route and keeping Green instead. DiVincenzo is expected to miss time in the 2026-27 season, and there’s still no firm return date.
If his recovery tracks like Jayson Tatum’s - he came back in less than 10 months - then January or February is a possible target. Even then, getting back on the floor and looking like himself are two different things.
And the floor still exists where DiVincenzo misses the whole season. That can’t be dismissed, even with reports that his rehab has gone well. From a pure availability standpoint, that would make Green the easier choice because he’s healthy.
But Minnesota’s decision gets sharper when you look at what Green actually brings. He could help most with his three-point shooting, yet he hit 42% from deep last season in Charlotte while averaging just 2.4 attempts per game. Across 58 games, he put up 4.3 points in 15.7 minutes a night, and his scoring has trended down since his career-best 9.1 points per game in Dallas during the 2022-23 season.
If Green stayed, he might not even crack the rotation now that Kuminga is in the fold, which undercuts the point of keeping him in the first place.
DiVincenzo is the piece Minnesota already knows, and he has become the key return in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. The Wolves seem to want him back in the mix, and the sense here is that patience will matter more than panic. It may take a while for him to get rolling again, but Minnesota clearly believes the wait is worth it.
In Other News...
Anthony Edwards Is Setting A Different Tone For The Timberwolves
The Timberwolves have spent the offseason projecting a more connected, more settled group, with the kind of low-key bonding that can matter once the games start counting. The roster has been active away from the floor, from players keeping up with one another on social media to the team documenting Donte DiVincenzos rehab from an Achilles injury, all of it feeding the sense that Minnesota is trying to build continuity as much as talent.
Anthony Edwards is also sounding and acting like a player ready to carry more of the tone-setting load. For a team that already knows what it looks like to win in spurts, the bigger question is how that energy translates when the rotation settles and the new pieces are asked to fit quickly into a group that expects to contend again. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Still Have One Roster Problem They Can't Ignore
Jonathan Kumingas decision to land with the Timberwolves on a two-year deal leaves the Lakers still staring at the same basic problem that has hung over their roster for most of the offseason. They need more help on the wing, especially with players who can bring size and versatility, but their options are shaped less by wish list than by cap math and the reality of a crowded payroll.
Los Angeles remains boxed in by the limits of its financial situation, which means any meaningful addition likely requires another move first. That is why the names floating around the market are the sort of lower-cost pieces that can still matter, with Bruce Brown and Cam Whitmore among the wings the Lakers could examine as they try to patch the roster without further tying their hands. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Still Have A Chance To Turn These Misses Into A Win
The Timberwolves added another young wing piece in Jonathan Kuminga on a two-year contract, a move that fits their broader effort to stay competitive while keeping their roster in motion. Around the league, Bennedict Mathurin landed in New Orleans on a similar two-year deal, and the Bulls were notable for what they did not do, passing on a more aggressive push for either player despite having an open roster spot.
Chicagos decision was about preserving roster and financial flexibility, even as both players came in at a price that some teams could have justified. For Minnesota, the signing gives the front office another option to sort through, but it also tightens the cap picture enough that every follow-up move matters, especially with the roster still needing room for one more body and the ripple effects of any additional transaction likely to shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]