The Timberwolves still have one roster spot to play with, and if they decide to fill it, the cleanest path points straight to the frontcourt.
After dealing Josh Green to the Utah Jazz for Cody Williams and Jon Konchar, Minnesota created enough room to add one player on a veteran minimum deal while staying under the second apron. The club now has 14 players on standard contracts, and it can also choose to leave that final opening untouched, just as it did last season.
If the Wolves do bring somebody in, the need is pretty clear: another big man.
At center, Minnesota is currently set with Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer. Rocco Zikarsky is on a two-way contract, but he doesn’t look like a real candidate to take the open standard roster spot. His uneven summer league only reinforced that he’s not ready for that jump yet.
Naz Reid used to be the steady backup in the middle for seven years, but he’s gone now after being traded this offseason to the Charlotte Hornets. Trey Lyles is on the roster too, though he’s more naturally a power forward, even if he has logged minutes at center over his 10-year career.
That matters because Lyles doesn’t bring the same length as Gobert or Beringer, and Minnesota would lose some of its rim protection if one of its centers had to miss time.
There are still some veteran options who could help there. Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee, Drew Eubanks and Tony Bradley are among the centers still available who can give a team minutes in the middle and at least some rim deterrence.
If the Wolves want a different kind of option, Kelly Olynyk is still out there too, along with a name that should feel familiar to Minnesota fans: Kevin Love.
A return to where his NBA career began wouldn’t be the strangest move. Love is turning 38 in a little over a week, but he still rebounds well and can knock down catch-and-shoot 3s. It’s been more than 12 years since the Timberwolves sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
None of the available choices are exactly flashy, though Love might carry a little extra appeal for some in Minnesota. That’s the reality of shopping for a veteran minimum player this late in the process.
And with more players likely to get waived closer to the regular season, the Timberwolves may still have a few more names to sort through before deciding whether that third center is worth adding.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Just Made Their Bench Bet Clear
The Timberwolves kept reshaping the back end of their roster after signing Jonathan Kuminga, sending Josh Green to Utah in a move designed to clear room and bring back a little more flexibility. Minnesota came out of the deal with Cody Williams and John Konchar, but the real value of the transaction was always going to be what it created around the edges of the roster rather than the names involved.
Williams gives the Wolves a young piece to stash and develop while the club keeps an open roster spot and added cap room to work with. Konchar was moved on from almost immediately, a sign Minnesota is still trying to balance present-day depth with long-term optionality as it decides whether to add another player or simply keep the financial breathing room. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Still Have One Frontcourt Question Before Camp Opens
Joan Beringer is suddenly in the middle of a much clearer path than he might have expected heading into camp. After a busy roster overhaul that brought in LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga and Cody Williams, the Timberwolves are viewing the second-year big man as an important backup behind Rudy Gobert, which puts a spotlight on how the frontcourt will look once the season starts.
Even with Beringer penciled into a larger role, Minnesota still has some work to do before camp opens. The Wolves have one open roster spot and enough room to add another player, and the remaining question is whether they want to use it on a veteran who can steady the rotation and bring some experience to the bench. A few names make sense on paper for that kind of job, but the final choice could say plenty about how the team wants to balance development with immediate depth. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves New Look Faces The West Tests That Will Define Contender Status
Minnesotas roster looks a lot different heading toward the 2026-27 season, and that is by design. The Timberwolves reshaped the group with a series of moves aimed at giving the offense more juice, bringing in LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga, Cody Williams and John Konchar while also locking up Ayo Dosunmu on a five-year deal.
The changes are meant to help Minnesota take a real swing at the Western Conferences upper tier, where the margin for error is thin and every matchup seems to say something about contender status. The next stretch of games should offer an early read on whether this new look has enough shot creation, depth and flexibility to hang with the teams the Timberwolves have to catch. [Read more 🡒]