3. Youth
The Minnesota Timberwolves got younger after the NBA Trade Deadline and now have an average age of 23.7. They are now the second-youngest team in the NBA, barely behind the Memphis Grizzlies.
Having too much youth isn’t always a good thing because there’s room for mistakes with less experience. However, having a young team can also lead to a brighter future. Back when the Timberwolves had Zach LaVine, Wiggins and Towns as their three-headed monster, the long-term outlook of the team at least seemed brighter. That all changed after trading for All-Star Jimmy Butler.
There’s no guarantee that moving forward with youth will have a better impact on a team, but it doesn’t hurt. Minnesota having Russell and Towns as their two young stars at 24 years old will likely lead to a brighter future.
James Johnson and Evan Turner are the two oldest players on the roster at 33 and 31 years old, respectively. Turner will most likely not be back with the team after this season is over because he and the team have been working towards a buyout and he will be heading towards free agency by summer anyway.
Johnson has a player option for next season and it’s likely that he will opt into his deal, seeing as how he won’t be making around $15 million on the open market, which is what his player option is worth.
Beyond those two, Jake Layman rounds things out as the third-oldest player at 26 years old. Naz Reid is the youngest player on the roster at just 20 years old and should only get better with age and experience.
The complexion of the roster will change once the team signs new players during the offseason, but for now the Timberwolves have one of the youngest teams in the league. And that’s a positive thing.