The Minnesota Timberwolves may not be on the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs’ level yet, but the gap might not be as wide as it looks.
That’s the big takeaway after an offseason that gave Minnesota a major makeover and left the roster looking younger, deeper, and a lot more complete. The Thunder and Spurs still sit in their own tier at the top of the Western Conference, armed with elite blends of youth, draft capital, and win-now pieces. But the Wolves have put themselves in the conversation.
A big part of that comes from age. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, Minnesota’s two best players, are both only 25 years old, and neither has reached his prime.
Around them, the rotation is packed with players 26 or younger: Jaden McDaniels at 26, Jonathan Kuminga at 23, Ayo Dosunmu at 26, Joan Beringer at 19, Bones Hyland at 25, Isaiah Evans at 20, Terrence Shannon Jr. at 26, Cody Williams at 21, and Jaylen Clark at 24. That’s a serious collection of young talent for a team that once “sold their future” in the Rudy Gobert trade.
Youth alone doesn’t put Minnesota in the same class as Oklahoma City or San Antonio, though. The Wolves still have to prove it where it matters most, after playoff losses to the Spurs last season and the Thunder the year before. The case for them is that this roster finally has the pieces to change that story.
Tim Connelly’s offseason work addressed almost every issue that had been hanging over this group, especially the ones that kept showing up in the playoffs. Minnesota finally has a point guard, and not just any point guard - one of the league’s best playmakers and shooters.
Kuminga gives them a versatile forward. Evans adds long-term shooting upside.
Beringer, at 19, already looks like a center who can handle NBA minutes.
Shot creation and playmaking have been the Wolves’ pain points in recent postseasons, particularly against the Thunder and Spurs. Those weaknesses should at least be less of a problem now.
Kuminga may be the move that ties the whole thing together. Without him, Minnesota would have entered the season without a true power forward. He comes with flaws, sure, but the talent and athleticism were too tempting to ignore at $6 million.
If he embraces the role - the kind Aaron Gordon plays for the Denver Nuggets - Minnesota starts to look like a legitimate championship threat. And if that happens, the Wolves won’t just be chasing the Thunder and Spurs. They’ll be standing right alongside them.
In Other News...
Christian Braun Just Put Denvers Offseason Doubts On Notice
There has been plenty of offseason noise around Denver, but Christian Braun spent part of it pushing back against the doubt. The Nuggets wing addressed questions about his offseason and the ankle injury that slowed him down, and he said he is motivated and confident as training camp approaches. Denver has also been busy reshaping the edges of the roster, keeping Spencer Jones and bringing in DeMar DeRozan, so Brauns readiness matters in a summer that has already featured plenty of change.
For Minnesota, the Braun chatter connects to a different kind of familiar name resurfacing in the league conversation. There is reported mutual interest in Kevin Love returning to the Timberwolves, a possibility that would naturally catch attention in Minneapolis given his place in the franchises history and the fact he played last season in Utah. It is still just the sort of rumor that hangs in the background until the sides decide whether there is something real there, but it is exactly the kind of thread Wolves fans will keep watching as the offseason picture keeps shifting. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Love's Next Team Could Say A Lot About His Final Chapter
Kevin Love is still out there on the free agent market, and the conversation around his next stop says as much about his career stage as it does about the teams circling him. At this point, the appeal is less about big minutes and more about what he can add behind the scenes, with the veteran forward being viewed as a possible mentor and stabilizing voice in a locker room.
For a Wolves team that knows Love well from his earlier years in Minnesota, the fit has an obvious emotional pull, even as other contenders remain in the mix. Philadelphia and Miami have also been mentioned as possible landing spots, which keeps the picture unsettled for now, but the fact that multiple teams see value in him suggests the final stop of his career could still tell a meaningful story. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Arrives With One Big Question For Wolves Fans
Jonathan Kumingas arrival gives the Timberwolves a different kind of frontcourt look, with the expectation that he steps right into the starting power forward spot. The talent is obvious, but so is the concern that follows him into Minnesota: his outside shot has never been a strength, and his reputation has been shaped as much by inconsistency as by upside.
That makes the fit around him especially interesting, because Minnesota is betting the rest of the lineup can help smooth out the rough edges. LaMelo Ball is the kind of creator who can manufacture cleaner looks, and if that changes Kumingas comfort level from deep, it could go a long way toward making the partnership work. The question now is whether those open chances finally lead to better results, or whether the spacing issue remains part of the conversation all season. [Read more 🡒]