LeBron James isn’t walking through that door, and the Timberwolves are moving on with the same problem they had before the pitch: a hole at power forward that still needs filling.
Minnesota clearly made its case. Tim Connelly even brought it up during the introductory press conference for LaMelo Ball not too long ago, and the team had enough confidence in its own basketball fit to at least take a swing.
But the outcome is now settled. The former Los Angeles Laker is heading east, and the Wolves have to keep working the board.
Connelly didn’t exactly hide the reality of the situation when he spoke two weeks ago next to Josh Green at Target Center. Asked about the power forward spot, he said, "It's certainly an area where we're going to have to try and be creative," Connelly said, perched up next to Josh Green at the press conference now two weeks ago, when asked about the power forward role. "There's a couple free agents still available, we're working one or two of them right now."
That line matters because it showed Minnesota was never treating James as the only answer. Even while the team was in touch with him, the front office had other names in play. That’s how Connelly and general manager Matt Lloyd operate: multiple paths, multiple contingencies, no waiting around for one outcome to define everything.
"Certainly, it's going to be a new look roster," Connelly went on. "All credit to coach Finch's willingness to evolve and coach what is put in front of him."
The Wolves had already added Trey Lyles by then, though he doesn’t appear to be a full-time rotation piece this season. And even with that move, the frontcourt picture remains unsettled. The projected starting group of Ball, Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels, and Gobert leaves obvious issues elsewhere, especially with Dosunmu and McDaniels being pushed into roles that take them away from what they do best.
The numbers from last season back that up. In 281 minutes together, Dosunmu and McDaniels posted a -6.7 net rating, driven in large part by a 117 defensive rating that was well below par. Ball’s arrival doesn’t solve that.
There are still names out there who could help. Jonathan Kuminga and DeMar DeRozan are both available, and either one could address part of the need.
DeRozan brings offense, but he can bog things down and is no longer the defender he once was in Toronto. Kuminga brings his own questions, and Minnesota can’t afford to bring in someone who isn’t fully bought in to what the team is doing.
That kind of situation could bring back memories of Julius Randle, who was moved out of the Twin Cities with a first-round pick attached.
Kuminga also appears likely to land in Cleveland or Los Angeles with the Lakers.
With the salary cap situation adding another layer of difficulty, the Wolves’ need for creativity is real, not rhetorical. They know it, they’re still working, and the next move may tell everyone just how aggressively they plan to solve it.
In Other News...
Terrence Shannon Jr. Suddenly Sits At Center Of Timberwolves Roster Dilemma
Terrence Shannon Jr. has suddenly become part of a larger Timberwolves roster conversation, and it is not the kind of role discussion that usually follows a young wing. Minnesota is weighing ways to use him where the team needs help most, which has put his defensive profile under a brighter light than it was last season. Shannon showed some promise as an on-ball defender, but his overall impact was uneven enough that the staff now has to decide how much trust to place in him if the assignment changes.
The challenge is that the fit is about more than just switching spots on the floor. Shannons off-ball engagement and rebounding were real issues, and those are the exact areas that matter most if he is asked to handle bigger bodies and more physical possessions. For the Timberwolves, the question is whether his athleticism and defensive upside can catch up quickly enough to make the experiment work, because the alternative is another roster hole that has to be covered some other way. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Finch Faces A Timberwolves Choice That Could Define The Bench
The Timberwolves lineup puzzle is starting to take shape around one central question: where does the best balance come from if Ayo Dosunmu is not in the opening five? Chris Finch has options, and the discussion reaches beyond one spot on the floor, with the power forward decision tied into how the rest of the group fits around Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and the other perimeter pieces.
Dosunmus case is pretty straightforward if Minnesota wants a steadier second unit. He has the kind of scoring and creation that can settle a bench group, and there is a real argument for using him as a sixth man rather than forcing him into a role that blurs the rest of the rotation. Jaylen Clark, Josh Green and Terrence Shannon Jr. are among the names in the mix if Finch goes that direction, which is why this decision feels like more than a simple preseason formality. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Still Have One Roster Problem That Could Derail Everything
The Timberwolves have already done most of the heavy lifting on their offseason roster, with Julius Randle and Naz Reid gone and LaMelo Ball in the mix, but the biggest remaining question is still a familiar one: how to sort out the frontcourt around Rudy Gobert. Chris Finch has made it clear that Jaden McDaniels is not simply being pushed into a full-time power forward job, and the plan is for him to keep a role much closer to what he had last season while still spending some time there.
Minnesota is expected to sort out the final shape of that arrangement by the end of training camp in September, and the answer matters because the Wolves are also trying to piece together a bench that can hold up over the long haul. Terrence Shannon Jr., Bones Hyland and Jaylen Clark are all in line to help fill rotation minutes, but the overall balance of the roster still hinges on whether McDaniels can slide into the right spots without creating another problem elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]