Timberwolves youth may force front office to pivot in new direction

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards is turning heads already. And at 21 years of age, he certainly has a lot of NBA basketball left in his future. In fact, his game is so impressive that even seasoned veterans like Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neill have praised him and his performance.

But whether it has been his sudden surge to the forefront of the Minnesota Timberwolves roster, the injury-riddled season that decimated veteran players, or the fact that the Timberwolves front office has some painful and serious decisions to make over the contracts of the team’s younger players that are due to expire soon:

One thing is certain.  This team may need to pivot from whatever long-term strategy was on the whiteboard and begin to plan around building a roster that aligns with the timeline of Anthony Edwards’s career. Let’s be honest, the future for Anthony Edwards is incredibly bright right now.

So why do the Minnesota Timberwolves need to pivot mid-stream?

Some Minnesota Timberwolves’ money matters

The Timberwolves begin to face some rough roster decisions soon. Even as the team has already committed to veterans Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, the team’s true value lies in the surging youth on the roster, led by Anthony Edwards. And those young players will be looking for contract extensions, or even new contracts altogether.

The Timberwolves certainly want to address the contractual matters of shooting guard Anthony Edwards, small forward Jaden McDaniels, wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, backup center Naz Reid, and even Two-Way contract center Luka Garza.

Where will the money come from? That is why the pivot, as the team may need to repurpose salary cap dollars earmarked for their veterans. Will it be more crucial for the Timberwolves to lean on established veterans, or invest in younger players now to compete for the future? Until now, that decision has not been either/or. But it soon will be.

Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards is not going anywhere. The question is, how many of his current younger teammates will make the journey with him?