The Minnesota Timberwolves reshuffled and improved their roster this offseason. Essentially, they swapped Julius Randle and Naz Reid out for LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga. Ball is a higher-end No. 2 option than Randle, who provides some much-needed playmaking, and Kuminga, assuming buy-in, can be a rock-solid complementary forward. Nobody should benefit from these roster changes more than Anthony Edwards.
In my view, NBA roster-building primarily comes down to two things: finding a star and maximizing the roster around said star. Of course, the Timberwolves accomplished the first part of this goal years ago with Edwards. The second part? Not so much; throughout his career (and especially last season), Edwards has been overtaxed as a creator. Likewise, he's never shared the backcourt with someone who possesses gravity as both a playmaker and scorer. Ball fills this void and gives Edwards the second option that he needs.
However, even after adding Ball, the power forward position remained a clear weakness. That was until signing Kuminga. Now, Edwards is surrounded by a well-rounded roster that can thrive on both ends of the floor. Just as importantly, their fast-paced style of play and collective athleticism are perfectly suited for Edwards.
After the LaMelo trade, Edwards was "over the moon," and it's fair to assume he had some role in this trade coming to fruition. Regarding Kuminga, Edwards actively recruited him, and Ant played a significant role in convincing him to take less money, according to Jon Krawczynski.
So yeah, it's safe to say Ant-Man is happy with the Timberwolves offseason. Frankly, it's easy to see why, as the Timberwolves' revamped roster will make life easier for Ant-Man and improve the team's title chances.
LaMelo Ball is an ideal co-star for Anthony Edwards
The Timberwolves have had an impressive amount of success, making two conference finals in the past three years. You can't argue they've done a terrible job building the roster around Ant.
Regardless, have they truly supported him to a championship level? No, they haven't. As noted, the lack of playmaking and creation around him has been a major issue. And it's one the eventual Western Conference champs have loudly exposed in back-to-back seasons.
LaMelo will alleviate this problem, in turn, making it easier for Edwards to score. On a similar note, Randle's isolation-centric game, paired with his inconsistencies as a scorer and playmaker, made him a less-than-ideal co-star. Edwards also never developed a great two-man game with Karl-Anthony Towns.
Ball's blend of elite perimeter scoring and playmaking simply makes him a cleaner fit than these two. The playmaking piece is key, as this is one of Ant's few weaknesses. Given the heights that Edwards has already reached, it's hard not to be excited about him with a co-star who fits alongside him better.
Jonathan Kuminga solves the Timberwolves' last major flaw
In terms of how Kuminga fits into the equation, he gives the Timberwolves an athletic play-finisher and quality on-ball stopper against opposing forwards. Furthermore, he'll help immensely with the Timberwolves' rebounding concerns. These are elements the Timberwolves lacked before signing Kuminga. But now they have a nearly flawless roster.
Even though his shot creation abilities won't be used a ton, this gives the Timberwolves' offense an extra wrinkle if they need it. The bigger picture is that the Timberwolves have a ton of scoring threats alongside Ant, which will make them a challenging matchup for opposing defenses.
Without a doubt, this is the most talented offensive group of Edwards' career, and that should make life a lot easier for Ant.
All the same, with Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels (an engaged) Kuminga, and Ayo Dosunmu, they should remain a top-10 defense. Speaking of defense, the Timberwolves' improved offense should give Edwards more energy to fulfill his two-way upside.
The Timberwolves now have a clear identity
I touched on it earlier, but the other thing that Kuminga solidifies is the Timberwolves' identity as a fast-paced and athletic offensive team. While the Wolves' defense has given them some sort of an identity, they've never had a clear-cut offensive identity in the Edwards era.
Now, it's clear that they'll focus on playing fast and utilizing multiple scoring threats (somewhat like we saw from the Indiana Pacers during their 2025 Finals run). The Timberwolves' combination of rim pressure and outside shooting also gives them some offensive versatility.
This style of play perfectly suits Edwards, and he has ample support to make a championship run. Look, there are still valid questions about how everyone will mesh together, and the frontcourt depth is still less than ideal.
Regardless, the Timberwolves have more championship equity than in past years, and this roster is a much smoother fit around Edwards.
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