The Timberwolves’ starting group looks settled now, and Jonathan Kuminga’s arrival last week did more than plug a hole at power forward. It pushed the rest of the roster into focus, especially the bench, where Chris Finch now has a much clearer picture of who fits and where.
Ayo Dosunmu appears headed back to a reserve role after spending much of last season in a larger spot. He averaged 28 minutes with Minnesota after arriving from Chicago, though that number was inflated by Anthony Edwards’ late-season injury.
Even so, Dosunmu should stay close to that kind of workload this year. He can function as a combo guard or slide up as a wing in bigger lineups, and his efficiency off the bench stands out: he shot 43% on catch-and-shoot threes and gives the Wolves another player who can push the ball after rebounds.
Joan Beringer also seems locked into an early bench job. He’s the clear backup to 34-year-old Rudy Gobert and will be needed whenever Gobert gets a night off. Gobert’s minutes have dipped a bit over the last three seasons, so managing his load will matter in a year when his presence is expected to be especially important.
Donte DiVincenzo’s return to play is still unclear, but once his minute restrictions are gone, he should settle into the mid-20s. That may not come this season, but it belongs in the conversation about how this rotation eventually settles.
The trickiest part of the bench may be sorting out the ball-handling mix. Terrence Shannon and Bones Hyland join a group that already includes Dosunmu, and that creates some overlap. Shannon’s playoff surge last season changed the way Finch viewed him, and the coach said plainly:
“We’ve learned, with [TJ Shannon], he’s gotta have the ball in his hands.Silly me, we played him out of the corner most of the season, but he’s way better with the ball in his hands at the top of the floor”- Chris Finch on TJ Shannon pic.twitter.com/e0BqNSfh1t
Hyland brings a different kind of value, too. He was effective on catch-and-shoot looks from beyond the arc at 40%, and both he and Shannon have shown enough upside and pace to make it hard to leave them buried.
That leaves Jaylen Clark in a tougher spot. He has experience, he’s been through battles, and he’ll absolutely have a role in games where Minnesota needs a defensive spark.
But his offense has never come along consistently, and teams are comfortable ignoring him in the corner or forcing him into off-hand drives. If Clark is playing every night, Finch is using a 10-man rotation, and that doesn’t sound like something that’s going to happen.
Trey Lyles was almost in line for real minutes before the Kuminga signing changed the picture. He’ll still get some run because Rudy Gobert won’t play all 82 games, but the path is crowded. There are simply too many players ahead of him, and too many of them have already been in postseason games, for Lyles to look like a steady rotation piece.
Cody Williams lands in the familiar “let’s see what happens” bench category. He’s a former top-ten pick with a promising frame, but his first two NBA seasons have gone mostly the wrong way, and he hasn’t shot better than 30% from three. If he starts seeing long stretches of minutes, that would signal something has gone off course.
What had been a real concern for Minnesota heading into the season - depth - looks a lot less alarming now. Kuminga gives the Wolves a starter and a possible glue guy at power forward, and that move also eases the pressure on the bench.
In Other News...
Wolves GM Just Raised Big Questions About Two Core Decisions
Matt Lloyds latest comments offered a fairly clear snapshot of how Minnesota is trying to balance the present with the future. The Timberwolves GM talked up the arrival of forward Cody Williams as a player whose defensive versatility could fit multiple lineups, and he also addressed the signing of Jonathan Kuminga while touching on LaMelo Balls work ethic since joining the team and Ayo Dosunmus expected role in the rotation. Along the way, Lloyd also praised Anthony Edwards growth as a leader, a reminder that the Wolves are still trying to build around their young centerpiece even as they keep adding pieces around him.
The bigger long-range questions, though, remain tied to the rosters veteran core and one injured wing whose path back is still uncertain. Lloyd discussed Donte DiVincenzos rehabilitation from a torn Achilles and the teams approach to extensions for DiVincenzo, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, leaving the timing of those decisions very much open. For a Wolves team trying to stay competitive without boxing itself in, those calls could shape not just this season, but the one after it as well. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Face One Huge Rotation Question In Their New-Look Lineup
The Timberwolves reshaped roster has pushed Chris Finch into one of the more interesting lineup puzzles of the offseason. After trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid for LaMelo Ball and adding Jonathan Kuminga on a two-year contract, Minnesota suddenly has a different kind of top-end talent mix, and the early question is how all the pieces fit without disrupting the balance that made the group work.
Kumingas willingness to embrace a complementary role could make that transition easier, but the bigger challenge may be finding the right rhythm for Ball in a system that will need both creativity and structure. Finch now has to decide how to keep the offense flowing, manage the workload of his new point guard and still leave enough room for Anthony Edwards to stay at the center of the teams identity. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Just Made A Cap Bet On One Young Roster Holdover
The Timberwolves have spent the offseason trying to thread a very specific financial needle, and it led them to clear room below the second apron by moving Josh Green to the Jazz and waiving and stretching John Konchars contract. Those moves opened the door to sign Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year, $12.4 million deal while also keeping Cody Williams in the fold, a reminder that every roster decision now comes with a cap-side consequence.
Williams is the younger holdover Minnesota chose to protect as it sorted through the back end of the roster, even if the choice came with dead money spread across the next three years. The appeal is straightforward enough for a team that values flexibility on defense: Williams gives the Wolves a more useful long-term piece than Konchar, and the front office made its bet accordingly while accepting a short-term hit to preserve that option. [Read more 🡒]