The Minnesota Timberwolves may have built one of the league’s most complete-looking rosters this offseason, but there’s still one spot where the picture gets murky fast: the frontcourt behind Rudy Gobert.
On paper, the starting group of LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, and Gobert gives Minnesota plenty of ways to win. That unit can defend, shoot, and attack the rim, and Ayo Dosunmu gives the Wolves a real weapon off the bench. But once you get past the top of the rotation, the frontcourt options thin out in a hurry.
Right now, Joan Beringer and Trey Lyles are the only backup frontcourt players on standard roster contracts. That’s a slim safety net, even if there’s reason to believe Beringer can take a big step forward in his second season. The problem is that even a year-two jump from the 19-year-old wouldn’t erase the bigger concern: Minnesota simply does not have much true depth there.
The most obvious danger comes if Gobert or Beringer misses time. There’s also the possibility that Beringer is still too raw to handle a larger role. In those situations, the Wolves could get stretched thin quickly.
Lyles can help. He’s a useful depth piece and could give them solid minutes as a stretch four.
But asking him to play major time at center would create problems, especially because rim protection isn’t his strength. McDaniels can fill in at the five in a pinch, and that could be an interesting wrinkle, but it’s not something Minnesota can lean on for long stretches.
The issue goes beyond center, too. The Wolves also don’t have a natural bench forward beyond Lyles, which could force Finch to stagger McDaniels and Kuminga more often.
If that doesn’t happen, natural wings like Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark may end up handling some real forward responsibilities. That concern would have looked even worse before the Kuminga signing, but it still hasn’t gone away.
It stands out even more when you look around the conference. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder both have deep frontcourts, which makes Minnesota’s thinner setup feel more exposed.
There are still ways the Wolves could address it. They have an open roster spot and can fill it while staying under the second tax apron, though doing so would add $8.5 million to the luxury tax bill. That’s a real price to pay for someone who might not even crack the regular rotation.
If Minnesota decides to add another big before the season, Kevin Love, Drew Eubanks, and Kelly Olynyk are three names to watch. Love stands out as the most obvious fit, both because he’s a franchise legend and because Jon Krawczynski reported there’s some level of mutual interest in a reunion.
If the Wolves hold off, they could always revisit the issue at the trade deadline. That would be a depth-only move, given the payroll and the lack of draft capital, but it could lead them to Thomas Bryant, Mo Bamba, or Trayce Jackson Davis as emergency big-man help.
Another possibility is to reshuffle the two-way spots and try to uncover a hidden gem, though second-year big man Rocco Zikarsky looks years away from NBA minutes. The Wolves could also cycle through 10-day contracts if they need to patch things together on the fly.
However they choose to handle it, the message is the same: as the season gets closer, Minnesota’s frontcourt depth is still the one clear concern hanging over an otherwise strong roster.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Already Face One Big Offensive Question With LaMelo and Ant
The Timberwolves new backcourt pairing brings plenty of juice, but it also comes with an early roster-building question: how do they keep the offense humming when Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball are both out of the game? Chris Finch has already made clear he does not see a need to lean on either star for all 48 minutes, which means Minnesota will have to make those non-star stretches count if it wants to maximize what those two can do together.
Balls workload is expected to be managed carefully, so the Wolves are going to have to find scoring from elsewhere in the rotation. Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Bones Hyland are among the players expected to help fill those gaps, and how well that support group holds up could go a long way toward determining whether Minnesotas offense stays steady or bogs down whenever its two headliners sit. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Already Puts The Wolves In A Tough Spot
The Timberwolves have added Jonathan Kuminga on a two-year contract, and the early read is that he is being slotted in as the starting power forward. It is the kind of move that can reshape a rotation quickly, especially for a team trying to sharpen its frontcourt and get clear answers about how the pieces fit around him.
The interesting part is what happens if the fit is not as smooth as expected. Minnesota would then have to decide whether to keep Kuminga in that role or rethink his usage, and that is where the history matters. He was not especially comfortable with coming off the bench during his time with the Warriors, so any future move out of the starting group could become a sensitive part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Could Be The Biggest Winner From Minnesota's New Look
Anthony Edwards has already built a reputation as one of the leagues most explosive young scorers, but Minnesotas new shape could give him an even cleaner runway. The Timberwolves are talking about a more athletic lineup, and the fit around Edwards is the kind that can change how often he gets downhill, how often he sees open space and how much easier his offense can look over the course of a game.
The intriguing part is how much his production could shift if the new pieces do what the front office is hoping they will. With more speed around him and a guard who can help create cleaner looks, Edwards may spend less time forcing difficult possessions and more time attacking in rhythm, which is why some around the team think his scoring ceiling could take another step in the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]