On Thursday, Neil Payne of ESPN posted an article in which he listed the NBA teams that gained or lost the most roster value in the offseason. The Minnesota Timberwolves found themselves near the bottom, as they came in as having lost the fifth-most value in the league.
The Timberwolves didn't add any outside free agents in the offseason
In his article, Payne used Estimated RAPTOR Wins Above Replacement (WAR) to come up with his list. WAR has become popularized in the sport of baseball, even if very few understand how it is calculated. It hasn’t gained that traction in basketball yet.
The Wolves’ roster hasn’t changed all that much when compared to last season. They lost just one key free agent, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who signed with the Hawks. He is worth a projected 3.0 WAR in 2025-26. Little-used Josh Minott signed with the Celtics and has a projected WAR total of 0.5.
Meanwhile, Minnesota did not sign an outside free agent this offseason. The only top addition that Payne listed is rookie center Joan Beringer, the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. His projected WAR comes in at 0.3.
The four teams that the article states lost more value than the Timberwolves are the Cavaliers, Bucks, Suns, and Celtics.
List doesn't take into account internal growth
While this is a fun exercise provided by Payne, it’s not necessarily one that truly encapsulates whether or not a team has improved. That is particularly the case for a team like the Timberwolves.
Minnesota has much youth that is expected to show improvement this season. Second-year players Jaylen Clark, Rob Dillingham, and Terrence Shannon Jr. will likely see more of a role.
Anthony Edwards recently turned just 24 years old, so there’s a good chance we haven’t even seen him in peak form. Jaden McDaniels just turned 25, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if we see an offensive leap from him that has been seen in the postseason.
Then there is the continuity aspect. As already mentioned, much of Minnesota's roster remains the same from last season. Last year, the Timberwolves had both Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle join the team just before training camp. Understandably, it took both of them some time to get fully acclimated.
All in all, this article is one that shouldn’t be worrying for Wolves fans despite where they landed on the list.