The Timberwolves have made a habit of finding players whose careers needed a jolt and giving them exactly that.
In the Tim Connelly era, Minnesota has repeatedly taken chances on players other teams had moved on from, and the results have been striking. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Bones Hyland, Jonathan Kuminga and Trey Lyles are the latest examples - four players who had struggled at previous stops before finding new life with the Wolves.
Alexander-Walker is the clearest early success story. He arrived in Minnesota as a throw-in in the D'Angelo Russell-for-Mike Conley trade, after showing some promise in New Orleans but then falling out of favor there. His time with the Utah Jazz barely got off the ground, and his career looked stalled before the Wolves got hold of him.
Once he landed in Minnesota, though, he changed his game. Instead of being viewed mainly as a scorer, he developed into one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders and a valuable glue guy, which earned Chris Finch’s trust. He later took that momentum into free agency, signing a four-year, $62 million deal with the Hawks and now averaging over 20 points per game while winning Most Improved Player with them.
Hyland followed a different path, but the theme was the same. He was the kind of player who had been left for dead, and he said himself that he was considering EuroLeague opportunities before Minnesota came calling. After being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Atlanta Hawks in the Bogdan Bogdanovic trade, he was waived by the Hawks before ever appearing in a game.
The Wolves grabbed him in free agency to finish the season, and by the next year he had carved out a real role. He pushed his way into the rotation, outplaying lottery pick Rob Dillingham, and won Finch over as a microwave scorer who could change the pace of a game. He’s also become known as one of the best vibes guys on the roster, whether he’s in the rotation that night or not.
Kuminga and Lyles are the newest additions to that list. Kuminga had been tagged for much of his career as a losing and selfish player, but Connelly targeted him this offseason anyway. The move has worked, with Kuminga acting like the ultimate professional and doing everything asked of him and more.
Lyles’ turnaround is just as notable. He was out of the NBA last season and playing for Real Madrid, but now he’s logging major minutes for a team with championship aspirations. That’s another front office win for Minnesota.
For a team without draft picks or cap space, those kinds of bets matter. The Wolves have leaned into unconventional roster-building, taking chances on players other teams are willing to pass by. When those swings hit, as they have in Minnesota, they can become a real edge.
That’s what makes this group so effective at turning “distressed assets” into useful pieces. Right now, no one in the NBA does it better than the Timberwolves.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Defense Is Forcing A Bigger Conversation About Their Ceiling
The early shape of Minnesotas season has been defined by a defense that has given opponents very little room to breathe. Even with Anthony Edwards missing several games, the Timberwolves have built an 8-3 start on the back of a unit that has consistently bothered ballhandlers, closed off clean looks from deep and made every possession feel like a grind.
What makes it more interesting is that this is no longer just about surviving while the offense finds its footing. The Wolves have been good enough on that end to force a bigger conversation about how high their ceiling can go if the defensive standard holds, especially once the roster is whole and the attack catches up. [Read more 🡒]
Ayo Dosunmu Explained Whats Fueling His Timberwolves Surge
Ayo Dosunmu has settled into a much bigger role since Anthony Edwards went down with a knee injury, and the early returns have been hard to miss. The guard has brought a sharper scoring punch to the starting lineup, while also giving Minnesota a steadier decision-making presence. Over the last stretch, his shot-making has been efficient enough to stand out even in a rotation that has had to adjust on the fly.
Chris Finch and Dosunmu both pointed to the same broader theme behind the uptick: the way the offense is opening up around him. With Rudy Gobert setting strong screens and helping create cleaner looks at the rim, Dosunmu has found more room to operate and more chances to attack in rhythm. For a Timberwolves team trying to keep its footing through an injury-driven shuffle, that kind of fit matters, even if the full picture of how long it lasts is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Make A Frontcourt Move With Anthony Edwards Still Out
With Anthony Edwards still sidelined by a knee injury, the Timberwolves have added some frontcourt depth as they try to keep their strong start rolling. Minnesota brought in Johni Broome on a two-way deal, a move that gives the club another developmental big while it waits for one of its top scorers to return.
Broome arrives with some recent NBA experience after spending time with the 76ers and Clippers, and he was the 35th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. For a Wolves team trying to hold steady through Edwards absence, the addition is a low-risk way to shore up the roster and see whether Broome can carve out a role while the lineup is in flux. [Read more 🡒]