A little more than 15 months after Oklahoma City handled Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves are in position to make this race a lot tighter.
That 2025 series was never especially close. The Thunder took it in five games, and Minnesota took some heavy hits along the way, losing by 26, 15 and 30 points before Oklahoma City rolled on to win the NBA Finals. But the team that showed up against the Wolves then is not the same one that exists now, and neither is the Thunder roster.
Oklahoma City’s offseason was shaped by the second apron, and the cost-cutting came with real basketball consequences. Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins all had roles in that Minnesota series, and all three are gone now, with the Thunder getting only second-round picks back in return.
Dort started all five games and played 30.4 minutes a night. Joe and Wiggins combined for 95 minutes against the Wolves.
That kind of loss matters because depth was Oklahoma City’s edge. For the last couple of years, the Thunder could go 12 or 13 deep and keep right on rolling.
Now they need some of the next wave to pop. That means one or more of Bennett Stiritz, Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber or Aday Mara has to become a real factor. Alex Caruso will be 33 in February, and Cason Wallace is the likely replacement for Dort in the starting five, which thins out the bench even more.
That doesn’t automatically make Minnesota better, but it does make the gap less intimidating.
The Wolves still have work to do, and their own case depends on a few key pieces coming through. Terrence Shannon Jr. needs to emerge as a second reliable scoring option off the bench next to Ayo Dosunmu.
Joan Beringer has obvious upside, but the question is whether he can handle a full-time role at 20 years old. If Minnesota can stay mostly healthy, especially Ball, that changes the equation fast.
Ball’s presence matters because he helped the Charlotte Hornets’ offense operate at one of the league’s best levels when he was on the floor. Minnesota also still has its defensive backbone, with Gobert and McDaniels leading the way. Put that together, and it’s not hard to see why the Timberwolves could be the team that gets back to the Western Conference Finals if things break right.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Had A More Intriguing Frontcourt Option Than Fans Realized
Before Minnesota turned its attention to Jonathan Kuminga, the Timberwolves at least did some digging on another frontcourt name with NBA experience: Sasha Vezenkov. The veteran forwards path has already taken him through a modest stint with the Sacramento Kings, a trade to the Toronto Raptors and a return to Olympiacos in Greece, which made him an intriguing if somewhat unexpected possibility for a team still sorting out its frontcourt options.
Vezenkov has not shut the door on an NBA comeback, but he has been clear that his current focus is on his life and career overseas. Even so, the fit was interesting enough that Minnesota explored the idea before moving on, leaving a small reminder that the Wolves spent part of their offseason looking well beyond the obvious names as they weighed how to strengthen the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Could Revisit A Steph Curry Reunion Fans Barely Got To See
As training camp draws closer, a handful of former All-Stars are still sorting out what comes next, and Kevin Love is among the names with some Minnesota tie-in. Love is reportedly interested in a return to the Timberwolves, where he spent the first six seasons of his career and became one of the franchises defining players before moving on and building an All-Star rsum elsewhere.
Seth Curry is another free agent whose next move could carry a familiar feel, with a possible reunion with the Warriors lingering in the background. He previously shared the floor with Steph Curry in Golden State, but the overlap fans got from that pairing was brief, and now the question is whether the organization and guard will revisit it before camp fully gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Were Closer To LeBron Than Fans Realized
LeBron James is headed to Philadelphia on a two-year deal, but the ripple effect stretches beyond the 76ers. For Minnesota, the interesting part is how close the Timberwolves may have been to entering the conversation as a real landing spot, with the team positioned as part of the same wider offseason chain reaction that also sent LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota in a separate trade with Charlotte.
What makes the story linger is how quickly a marquee chase can turn on fit and opportunity, especially for a player like James at this stage of his career. The Timberwolves were in the mix long enough to matter, and the reason they fell short appears tied to the way Philadelphia reshaped its roster and its championship outlook, leaving Minnesota to wonder how different things might have looked if the market had broken another way. [Read more 🡒]