The Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert trades were both highly controversial for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Trading for Gobert was divisive due to the enormous number of picks they gave up. While trading for Randle was controversial, as the Wolves gave up Karl-Anthony Towns, who was one of their best players in franchise history.
The second year with Gobert in the mix was one of the Wolves' best seasons in franchise history; they won 56 games (which is the most in franchise history) and made their franchise's second conference finals appearance. This was a 14-win jump from the previous season. On a recent episode of The Dane Moore NBA Podcast, he and Kyle Theige discussed the similarities between the Wolves' 2023 and 2025 offseasons and how it could result in a similar jump.
The Wolves are unlikely to make a jump as big as they did in 2023, since that would result in them being a 63-win team. However, Randle gelling with the core for another season and the Wolves' continuity could result in them making their first finals in franchise history.
The Wolves are a similar yet somewhat different spot than in 2023
Undoubtedly, the situations in 2023 and now are a bit different. In the 2022-23 season, Minnesota finished with just a 42-40 record, good for the No. 8 seed. However, Towns played in just 29 games that season. Still, the Wolves had a 14-13 record with Towns and Gobert in the lineup, and there were questions about how the two big men would fit. In the 2023 offseason, the Wolves didn't make any major moves, but they retained their core and ultimately made a massive jump in the standings, which resulted in a playoff run as well.
This past season was far more successful for the Wolves as they won 49 games, good for the No. 6 seed, and made their second straight conference finals run. Despite getting off to a slow start, the Wolves posted a 16-4 record in the final 20 games of the regular season and, of course, had significant playoff success.
The Wolves' offseason has gone under the radar as they haven't made any major moves. Nevertheless, bringing back both Julius Randle and Naz Reid is a massive win for this team. The Wolves have most of their core intact, and their experience together could set them up for a finals run. Tim Connelly and the rest of the Wolves' organization have talked about how this continuity will be an advantage.
Randle struggled to start the season with his new team. However, in the final 21 games of the season, after returning from injury, he posted impressive averages of 18.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while shooting 39.8 percent from beyond the arc. His stellar play continued in the playoffs, where he averaged 21.7 points, proving to be an ideal second option next to Anthony Edwards.
Wolves fans should have high hopes of the 2025-26 season
Now that Randle has a year of experience with this Wolves squad, it's reasonable to expect him to have a better season. This could result in the Wolves being a better team overall. Furthermore, having young players such as Terrence Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham, and Jaylen Clark opens the door for some internal improvements.
The Wolves' combination of an elite core that will be more comfortable with each other and young players ready for bigger roles gives them a solid chance to break through and win a title. Overall, the Wolves' decision to focus on continuity like they did in the 2023 offseason will benefit them.