On Friday, ESPN posted an article written by Kevin Pelton on the biggest roster holes for all 30 NBA teams for the 2025-26 season. When it comes to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he listed their biggest roster hole as their wing depth.
Wing depth could be an issue for the Timberwolves
The Timberwolves return much of the same roster that reached the conference finals last season. The major differences are drafting Joan Beringer in the first round with the 17th overall pick, and seeing Nickeil Alexander-Walker leave in free agency to join the Hawks. It was widely assumed that Minnesota would be unable to keep each of its three major free agents, and they prioritized bringing back Julius Randle and Naz Reid over Alexander-Walker.
In his two full seasons playing for the Wolves, Alexander-Walker did not miss a single game. While he was mostly utilized as a reserve (30 combined starts), he still averaged 24.4 minutes over those two years. On a Minnesota team that didn’t go deep into their bench, Chris Finch seemed to only trust Donte DiVincenzo, Reid, and Alexander-Walker off the bench for much of the playoffs.
With Alexander-Walker exiting the team, the Timberwolves will look to younger players to take over his role as the top wing player off the bench. The two main candidates to help take on some of the minutes he has left behind are Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark.
Both of them are coming off their first season playing in the NBA. While Clark was drafted in 2023, he missed his entire rookie year with a torn Achilles. He and Shannon combined for just 85 minutes total during their 15-game playoff run.
Point guard depth has been pointed out as a weakness by fans
Yes, losing Alexander-Walker hurts, but Shannon Jr. should have instilled confidence in the fanbase with how he played in their last three playoff games after finally being inserted into the postseason rotation. While the 25-year-old needs to show he can perform over the course of a whole season, he did show what he is capable of with extended minutes.
Many fans may be surprised that Pelton did not choose the point guard position. It has been spoken about ad nauseam how Mike Conley is turning 38 years old before the season begins. Also, Rob Dillingham never seemed to gain the full trust of Chris Finch during his rookie year. There has even been talk of DiVincenzo potentially being the team’s starting point guard.