The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t meet their expectations this season. However, Timberwolves president of basketball operations and general manager Tim Connelly vowed that the franchise will do everything possible to get the Wolves back to the top tier of the NBA.
Timberwolves Plan To “Swing for the Fences” This Offseason
“We have a lot of confidence in our guys, but it would be disingenuous to sit in front of this group and say we’re happy with the sixth seed, we’re happy with not being a home-court playoff team, we’re happy that our last three closeout games have been lopsided,” Connelly said during his season-ending news conference on Tuesday. We have to be realistic about what we have, which is way more good than bad, but we know that we’re not good enough right now.”
Minnesota, coming off two straight Western Conference Finals appearances, came into the 2025-26 season looking to take the next step. However, the Timberwolves struggled down the stretch, finished sixth in the Western Conference, and were ousted in the Conference semifinals. The Wolves sat third in the conference with a 40-23 record on March 5, but they went on to lose 10 of their last 19 games.
Still, Minnesota won 40+ games for the fifth straight season. The Wolves also made the playoffs for the fifth consecutive campaign, marking the second-best stretch in franchise history. After upsetting the Denver Nuggets, the Wolves took the San Antonio Spurs to six games. Still, injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, along with poor shooting, finally kept them out. They have won at least one postseason series in each of the last three years.
Minnesota was the seventh-highest-scoring team in the league with 118 points and one of the top shooting teams, ranking sixth in effective field goal percentage. The Timberwolves finished 12th in offensive rating, but were better on the defensive end. The Wolves were eighth in defensive rating as they limited opponents to 46.2% shooting from the field and 35.5% from deep.
Edwards was excellent, as usual, although he only played 61 games, and Jaden McDaniels had a career offensive season. Julius Randle increased his production in his second season with the Wolves, though he struggled mightily in the playoffs, specifically against the Spurs. Rudy Gobert was himself, meaning efficient offensively and fantastic on the defensive end, and Ayo Dosunmu gave the Wolves a boost after being acquired at the trade Deadline.
“I think way more good than bad, but look, we were an inconsistent team,” Connelly said, via The Athletic. “I think our emotional maturity has continued to be a thing that we have to get better at.”
Minnesota’s biggest issue was at point guard. While Donte DiVincenzo did an admirable job, he is better at the two. Mike Conley showed his age at 38, and Bones Hyland was only slightly better. The addition of Dosunmu was a coup for the Wolves, but he is an unrestricted free agent. They also need to add shooting off the bench and another lead guard who can play off the ball, with DiVincenzo expected to miss most of the next season as a result of his torn Achilles.
What Can The Wolves Do?
The Timberwolves have nine players under contract for next year with a salary cap hit of $190.3 million. Thus, leaving the Wolves is $10.6 million below the tax line. Julian Phillips ‘ $2.40 million contract is a team option.
Minnesota owns the No. 28 pick, via Detroit, and the 59th selection in this year’s draft. But the Timberwolves have only four future first-round selections, though only one is tradeable (2033). They can swap their 2028 or 2033 selections. On the plus side, the Wolves do have two trade exceptions, one for $10.77 million and one for $6.57 million.
Expect the Timberwolves to make a strong push for Dosunmu as they hold his Bird rights. The 26-year-old is eligible for a three-year, $54.2 millio contractn. The Wolves have also been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyrie Irving.
“To have the flexibility to re-sign Dosunmu and avoid the second apron hard cap, Minnesota would need to send out at least $58.5 million in salary,” per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. “Connelly once again could be faced with a franchise-altering decision, but this time, exploring a trade for former MVP Antetokounmpo. The Timberwolves pursued a trade ahead of the February deadline and will likely do the same this offseason.”
Re-signing Dosunmu to an extension could cost the Timberwolves Randle and either McDaniels or Naz Reid. Jaylen Clark, a restricted free agent, could also be a priority for the Wolves as he is a young perimeter defender with upside. A few potential free agent options include Jordan Goodwin, CJ McCollum, Luke Kennard, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jock Landale.
“I’d rather get fired for trying than sit here and just do the job in survival mode,” Connelly added. “So risky, I think, is if you’re a championship-level team and make a huge trade. I don’t know what level of risk there is when you’re bounced in the second round. I think we’re open to it. Certainly, we’re not driven by it.”
Photo Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
