Anthony Edwards isn’t selling a championship dream just yet, even if he believes the Minnesota Timberwolves can still handle some of the West’s top teams.
That’s the tension around Minnesota right now. Edwards has become the clear face of the franchise, the kind of young star teams hope can drag them into title conversations. But after a season that ended with a second-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs and an offseason full of roster changes, he’s not rushing the timeline.
“It would mean a lot [to win a championship]… But right now, I don’t think we’re thinking about winning the championship. It’s step by step.
We got LaMelo, a new player, and a bunch of new pieces. So, we are just trying to build it together, and I think we’re trying to gel it all together.”
That’s a pretty clear read on where Minnesota stands. The Timberwolves have added LaMelo Ball, giving Edwards another star-level guard to work with, and they also re-signed Ayo Dosunmu.
On paper, the pieces are more interesting now. In practice, Edwards knows a new group still has to figure itself out before anyone starts talking seriously about June.
Still, he didn’t sound shy about Minnesota’s chances against two of the West’s biggest names.
“Against those two teams, I think we’re going to beat them.”
He was talking about the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder, teams widely viewed as favorites to come out of the Western Conference next season. That’s no small statement, especially with the Thunder’s title-winning core still looming and the Spurs bringing one of the league’s best young groups to the table.
Edwards had a big individual season last year, averaging 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field and 39.9% from three. Even so, he was operating in a fairly limited role. Minnesota’s new setup should give him more room to do what he does best.
The Wolves also took a step toward building that chemistry early, with Edwards and Ball sponsoring the team’s preseason training in France. For a roster still trying to click, that kind of head start matters.
Minnesota has enough talent to make things interesting in the West. Whether that turns into something bigger will depend on how fast all those new pieces come together.
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For Thunder fans, Ibakas tribute carries extra weight because it points straight back to that core group that once made Oklahoma City feel like a contender every night. Westbrooks career was always bigger than one team, but his Oklahoma City chapter remains the one most closely tied to the Thunders identity, and messages like Ibakas only deepen that connection. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, this isnt being handed to anyone, and coach Mark Daigneault is expected to take a full look at the options before making anything official. Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain are in the mix as well, though both are viewed more naturally as second-unit pieces. That leaves Wallace with the spotlight, and training camp will decide whether his all-around game is enough to lock down a starting backcourt role. [Read more 🡒]