The Minnesota Timberwolves don’t exactly look starved for voices this summer.
A week in France with nearly the whole team together offered a reminder that this group is showing real connection off the floor, something that wasn’t always obvious during a last season that included its share of moodiness. Rudy Gobert, in particular, is leaning into his role by bringing teammates to his native country and showing them around.
That kind of bonding may change the conversation about whether Minnesota needs to chase another veteran presence before the season begins. The Wolves still have two open roster spots, though they’re expected to use only one so they can remain under the second apron. A seasoned addition wouldn’t be a mistake, but it may not be as urgent as it looked a month ago.
There’s still plenty of experience around this team, just in different places than before. Gobert is 34, Trey Lyles is 30, and those are the only two players on the roster whose ages start with a three. Minnesota also moved on from a wave of older players this offseason, including Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, Joe Ingles, and Julius Randle.
Even so, the leadership gap may not be as wide as it appears at first glance. Will Barton, an 11-year NBA veteran, is now part of Chris Finch’s assistant coaching staff. Pablo Prigioni remains on the bench as well, bringing years of professional experience from overseas in addition to his four NBA seasons.
And on the roster itself, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels are no longer just young players trying to find their footing. Both are entering their seventh season with the Timberwolves, and both have already been through two conference finals runs. Edwards, especially, is already helping set the tone for LaMelo Ball, who appears to have quickly fit in with his new teammates after being traded from the Charlotte Hornets.
Finch has described Ball as having an “infectious quality,” and that seems to be part of why the group has gravitated toward him so quickly.
If Minnesota does add a veteran, it doesn’t have to be for the sake of age alone. The more practical move might be to find a power forward who can also cover some minutes at center if Gobert or Joan Beringer is unavailable.
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Ayo Dosunmu Could Decide How Far This New Wolves Core Goes
The Timberwolves already have a sense of what a core can look like when it clicks. Their main starting five in 2025-26 was on the floor together more than any other lineup combination and still finished on the right side of the numbers, which is part of why the front office is willing to keep building around the group. The next version is expected to get LaMelo Ball inserted into the mix, and with one starting spot still up for grabs, Minnesota is trying to find the right piece to tie the whole thing together.
Ayo Dosunmu is at the center of that discussion after re-signing in the offseason, and he brings the kind of two-way versatility that can make a lineup feel more connected. His shooting, playmaking and tempo all fit the idea of a faster, more dynamic Wolves offense, but his role would also ask the team to make some defensive adjustments to maximize the group. However that balance gets struck, the answer at that last starting spot could end up shaping how far this new core can actually go. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Sent A Clear Message About The Wolves Right Now
After an offseason that brought major roster change, including the addition of LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards is sounding less like a player chasing the biggest trophy in August and more like one focused on getting the Timberwolves to fit together first. Minnesotas new-look group is still in the process of integrating pieces and building on-court chemistry, and Edwards made clear the priority right now is steady progress rather than trying to skip steps on the way to the top.
Theres still plenty of confidence inside the room, though, and that matters for a team trying to sort out its identity in a loaded Western Conference. Edwards pointed to Minnesotas belief that it can hang with quality opponents as the Wolves keep working through the early stages of this new era, with the larger question less about whether the talent is there and more about how quickly the pieces start to click. [Read more 🡒]