The Timberwolves have spent the last few seasons winning without ever quite giving Anthony Edwards the cleanest possible setup.
That’s the part worth keeping in mind as Minnesota reshapes things this offseason. The team has been successful, no question. But success and perfect fit are two different things, and for Edwards, the Wolves have been missing some of the ingredients every true star needs around him.
The biggest issue in recent years has been the frontcourt. Over the past two seasons, Edwards has been stuck alongside Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert, a pairing that didn’t offer much spacing.
Even in the 2023-24 season, when Karl-Anthony Towns was the co-star, Minnesota still didn’t have enough creation or playmaking next to Ant-Man. The offense finished 16th in offensive rating that year.
This summer, though, the Wolves have started building with Edwards in mind.
LaMelo Ball brings the kind of playmaking and perimeter scoring that should fit naturally next to Edwards. He’s also a more talented co-star than Randle, and that matters. Minnesota has never really given Edwards a high-end lead guard who can create for himself and set up others, and LaMelo is exactly that type of player.
That’s a big reason the roster looks better on paper now. LaMelo can work on the ball and off it, which is the kind of flexibility that makes life easier for a star wing like Edwards. Randle, by contrast, didn’t offer the same off-ball value and often slowed things down.
Ayo Dosunmu is another piece that helps. His all-around game makes him a strong fit next to Edwards, and bringing him back was another move aimed at improving the roster around Minnesota’s franchise player.
Jaden McDaniels also continues to be one of the cleanest fits on the roster because of his defense. His offensive game has grown, too, and that only helps. Still, it’s been obvious he needs more responsibility on that end, something Edwards has even said himself.
LaMelo’s presence could help make that possible. With a 6-foot-9 forward able to function as a secondary shot creator and offensive initiator, Minnesota has a real chance to open up McDaniels in a bigger way.
That doesn’t mean the roster is finished. The Wolves still have limited forward depth, so there’s work left to do. But the offseason moves have clearly pushed the team in the right direction if the goal is to maximize Edwards.
Tim Connelly has never been afraid to swing big, so there’s still a chance Minnesota adds more before the season starts. That could come through a trade or even a move for LeBron James.
And even if nothing major happens, the simple fact remains: more floor spacing around Edwards in the frontcourt should help.
Minnesota has already won plenty without building the ideal environment around its star. That’s why the next step feels so promising. If the Wolves have been able to do that much with a less-than-perfect fit, it’s fair to wonder what they can do now that they’re finally leaning into what Edwards needs.
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For the Timberwolves, the appeal is obvious enough: a chance to pair James with Anthony Edwards and a roster built around Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, while also addressing the need for a power forward. The broader field still includes familiar names such as Golden State, Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia, but James has been spending time on the golf course in Puerto Rico with Draymond Green, leaving the next step in the chase very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]