For the Minnesota Timberwolves, 2026-27 isn’t just about getting back on the floor. It’s about proving the roster makeover actually moved them closer to the league’s elite.
After missing the Western Conference Finals for the first time in three years, Minnesota shook things up in a big way. The front office traded for LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets, sending 2024 Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid the other way.
The team then locked up Ayo Dosunmu on a five-year, $112 million extension, added Jonathan Kuminga on a $13 million deal that includes a second-year player option for 2027-28, and brought in Cody Williams and John Konchar from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Josh Green. That move also cleared the $14.7 million salary needed to get the Timberwolves below the second apron.
The goal is clear: stay in the mix with the two teams sitting at the top of the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, while giving Anthony Edwards more help on offense. Minnesota was knocked out by the eventual Western Conference champion Spurs in six games, 4-2, in last year’s second-round series, and the new-look group is built to answer that challenge.
A few games on the 2026-27 schedule should tell the story of where this team really stands.
The first big test comes early against the defending champion Knicks, and it brings Karl-Anthony Towns back to Minnesota for the first time since he won a championship. The Timberwolves look nothing like the team that shipped Towns to New York in the blockbuster deal that brought Julius Randle back, only for Randle to later be traded to the Nets.
That sequence opened the door for the financial flexibility that eventually led to Kuminga’s arrival. Kuminga is projected to start in the frontcourt with Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, and that trio will get an immediate measuring stick against Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby.
On the other side, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart will see Anthony Edwards and Ball for the first time, with depth possibly deciding the night.
Then comes Christmas Day, when the Timberwolves host the 2025 champion Thunder. Minnesota lost its Western Conference Finals matchup with Oklahoma City 4-1 in 2025, and this season’s roster changes were made with teams like the Thunder and Spurs in mind.
Oklahoma City led the league with a 107.7 defensive rating last season, so this is the kind of game that will test whether Minnesota’s revamped offense can really keep pace. Edwards and Ball are the headline, but Dosunmu deserves attention too.
In 24 regular-season games for Minnesota last year, he averaged 14.4 points on 52.1/41.4/92.5 shooting splits, along with 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals. Ball, meanwhile, put up 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 1.2 steals for Charlotte, giving the Timberwolves another scorer to throw at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and OKC’s deep rotation.
Late January brings Denver to the picture, and that one matters for a different reason. The Nuggets added veteran DeMar DeRozan on a team-friendly deal, replacing the loss of Peyton Watson after he was dealt to the Cavs before agreeing to a long-term deal.
Denver, a second-apron team, has not seriously threatened since winning the 2023 Finals, and after losing Game 7 of its second-round series to the eventual-champion Thunder in 2025, it still has something to prove. Christian Braun and Spencer Jones will be worth watching as their development continues, while Aaron Gordon’s health looms large.
For Minnesota, the challenge is obvious: figure out how to deal with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray while Gobert, Edwards, and Ball carry their share of the load.
The last of the four marquee matchups comes just before the All-Star break, when the Timberwolves host the defending Western Conference champion Spurs. That timing makes the game feel like a checkpoint.
The Spurs’ young core set a new standard in their run to the NBA Finals last year, and their backcourt is loaded with Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and 2026 Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson. Tobias Harris was added up front as well.
Minnesota, though, will lean on Edwards and Ball, who should be settling into their rhythm by then. Against one of the league’s better defenses, the Timberwolves should learn plenty about themselves before the break arrives.
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Jordi Fernandez has already pointed to Minotts work ethic and expects him to help Brooklyn right away, but there will be no shortage of competition for minutes. For a player who spent last year turning heads with a more complete game, the next step is making sure that version of him shows up often enough to matter when the rotation gets tight. [Read more 🡒]