The Minnesota Timberwolves need to get on Anthony Edwards' timeline. That phrase has been thrown around by Wolves fans a lot since the season ended. With Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Joan Beringer all currently 26 or younger, leaning into a young timeline makes sense. However, the reality is that doing so might be tougher than some would like to admit.
Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert are, of course, the team's primary trade candidates. I firmly believe these players will yield the Wolves at the very least solid returns. Nevertheless, when looking at players that the Wolves have been linked to or could realistically land, they mostly fall on the older side.
In part, this is due to teams being understandably uneasy about trading young talent. Furthermore, Randle and Gobert are both "flawed stars," and thus they'd likely be traded for other star-level players with risk. President of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, spoke about the idea of risk during his end-of-season press conference.
“The risk is all self-induced pressure,” Connelly said. “I’d rather get fired for trying than just sit here and be in job survival mode.” He continued, “We’re not going to have a blind appetite for risk just because. But until you win it all, I think you’ve got to just keep playing hands.”
This is the right mindset when it comes to building a championship team; some level of risk is required, but it should not be reckless risk. Throughout his time with the Wolves, Connelly has made these calculated risks (that have largely paid off), including trading for Gobert and Randle (which helped immensely with their cap flexibility).
Most of the Timberwolves' realistic (and reported) trade targets are older
The most well-discussed Timberwolves trade targets are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyrie Irving. Giannis to me feels more unlikely than not, given the Wolves' lack of draft capital, and that it would require them to gut their depth, but the buzz continues nonetheless.
My larger point is that the Wolves' two primary trade targets are above the age of 30, and despite their undeniable talent, the injury risk for both players is notable.
You can love the idea of trading for one of these players (I'm a big proponent of trading for Kyrie), but it's more about upgrading the fit and talent around Ant than getting on his timeline.
Beyond these two, Dejounte Murray has been tossed around as a trade target. I would strongly consider trading either Randle or Gobert for him. Murray would provide high-level playmaking, creation, and finishing -- this skill set would make him an ideal fit alongside Ant.
However, he'll turn 30 years old before the start of next season; once again, he's not a perfect fit with Ant's timeline. Additionally, Murray suffered an Achilles injury in early 2025.
If you are fully committing to trading both Gobert and Randle, you'd better find some way to replicate Gobert's rim protection. As it stands, 30-year-old Myles Turner is the most commonly mentioned big man trade target among fans.
You get the point, most realistic trade targets don't perfectly align with Ant's timeline.
A couple of realistic targets who are on the younger side include Tyler Herro and Nic Claxton. Landing both feels unlikely, and currently, the Wolves haven't officially been linked to either. Ja Morant is another possibility, but that's a whole other level of risk.
To me, the goal shouldn't be to fully commit to a younger timeline if you are trading Gobert and Randle; rather, the primary goal should be a more balanced roster around Ant.
If the Wolves can trade for one younger and one older player, assuming these players fit more smoothly around Edwards, I think that's a win. Even if it's two older players who fit better, or you only trade Randle for an older point guard, I think that could prove to be worthwhile.
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