It was already clear that this offseason was crucial for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they attempt to catch up to the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently mentioned that the Wolves' future is in question in part due to how Anthony Edwards feels, which adds to the stakes of the Wolves' offseason.
“Going forward after this series, the Minnesota Timberwolves' future is in question, somewhat. Because of what Ant feels about the roster,” Windhorst said.
Windhorst's comments aren't entirely clear. However, it's reasonable to assume that Ant doesn't feel like the Wolves can't win as currently constructed, which certainly adds to the urgency around Minnesota's offseason.
In all fairness, this was clear to anyone who watched their second-round series against the Spurs. As was the idea, the Julius Randle-Rudy Gobert frontcourt is untenable long-term. Still, assuming Windhorst's comments are true, they only add to the importance of the Wolves' offseason.
In terms of the Wolves' future being uncertain, my guess is that it's not obvious what path they will go down to upgrade the roster around Ant.
The Timberwolves need to build a better roster around Anthony Edwards
Neither Randle nor Gobert is an ideal offensive fit alongside Edwards. Randle is far too ball-dominant and inconsistent. We saw the worst of these tendencies in the Spurs series, in which he averaged 12.8 points while shooting 34.2 percent from the field.
Gobert averaged 6.7 points on 45.5 percent shooting from the field in that same series. Windhorst didn't explicitly say so, but the Wolves' changes should start with this frontcourt pairing.
Hopefully, the Wolves can find a high-end co-star who fits smoothly alongside Ant in exchange for one of these players.
Nevertheless, that's not a guarantee. Earlier this week, Jake Fischer reported that Ayo Dosunmu is the biggest addition we can expect at this juncture. Furthermore, most of the co-stars available have some level of risk, whether that be injuries, age, or both.
Now, if the Wolves focus on internal growth and depth, that could end up paying dividends. Yet, it is worth wondering if Ant will buy into this vision or if he wants the Wolves to make a push for a star.
There's no doubt that Tim Connelly is an aggressive executive, and that should benefit the Wolves. Even still, they have clear hurdles to landing a star.
When you have a star like Edwards, you have to keep him happy and feeling like he has a real chance to win a title.
To be clear, the Wolves shouldn't simply trade for whoever Edwards wants, and that's likely not even possible. However, they must be aggressive in upgrading a flawed roster and consider his opinion.
Building a sustainable legitimate title threat around Edwards as he enters his true prime (and in turn, keeping him happy) is the ultimate goal.
If Windhorst is reporting this, it's fair to believe Edwards has expressed his concerns with the organization.
Whether it be by pulling off an unexpected move for a star or by bolstering their depth and improving the general fit of the roster, I feel confident that the Wolves will upgrade the team around Ant.
Regardless, the level of urgency to build a championship-winning roster around Edwards should be high, especially after this rumor.
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