With the Minnesota Timberwolves picking up Jonathan Kuminga in free agency, their starting lineup is now set for next season.
They added another player who is guaranteed to be in the rotation. If everyone is healthy, Finch’s top four guys off the bench, in some order, are likely to be Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Joan Beringer.
Maybe some nights Finch goes 10 deep. With the addition of Kuminga, though, these three players have a steeper path to regular minutes.
Trey Lyles
Prior to Kuminga joining the team, Lyles was the only natural power forward on the roster. Not many believed he would start, but there was a solid chance that he would at least earn rotational minutes.
Now, that’s less clear. Lyles is a 10-year NBA veteran who spent last season overseas before returning to the league this offseason. Just as the team was considering going with a non-traditional power forward before Kuminga was added, they could do so whenever the newcomer needs a breather.
With the way the roster is currently constructed, Lyles' major pathway to playing time could come whenever Rudy Gobert or Beringer is forced to miss a game, and he would likely move into the backup center role.
Jaylen Clark
Similar to players like Matisse Thybulle and Isaac Okoro, Clark would be seen in a much better light if he could provide more on offense. A tenacious defender, Clark needs to show more of what he did in his rookie year in 2024–25.
That year, Clark shot 43.1 percent from beyond the arc. While it was a small sample size—51 attempts—there was hope that he had found a reliable outside shot that he never had in college. Instead, he dipped to 32.7 percent in 2025–26 on double the attempts (101).
It was wise for the Wolves to bring back Clark this offseason on a three-year, $10 million deal. That low annual salary also shows that the team doesn't quite know if he can become that full-time rotational guy.
Isaiah Evans
Selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft,Evans seemed like a long shot to be in the rotation even before the Timberwolves signed Kuminga. Chris Finch hasn’t been known to play rookies much, and there were already too many players who looked to be ahead of him in the rotation.
Now, barring a few players being forced to miss a game, there is next to no chance that he will be part of the Wolves’ rotation. The outside shooting may allow Evans to carve out somewhat of a lengthy career, but the minutes won't likely come in 2026-27.
Expect Evans to spend a lot of time with the Iowa Wolves in his rookie season.
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