Leading up to the playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been playing some excellent basketball. Anthony Edwards still looks like a top 10 player, and Julius Randle has really found his groove as a scorer and playmaker. The Wolves finished the regular season as winners of 17 of their last 21 overall, including eight of their final nine. They are in a favorable spot to potentially upset the Los Angeles Lakers in round one and move on to the West semifinals.
But as we know, there are going to be some difficult decisions made in Minnesota this offseason, regardless of the Timberwolves' postseason result. The Wolves could win the Finals or get swept in the first round, and they will still have to consider the dilemma of paying their most important contributors.
There have been rumblings that Minnesota will highly prioritize bringing back Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is due a pay increase as well. From there, the difficult decision focuses on Julius Randle. There are plenty of fans on both sides of this debate, with plenty wanting him back and others being okay with the team moving on from him. Randle has effectively been Karl-Anthony Towns' replacement for the last seven months, so it's a complicated conversation to have. With that said, there may be a clever way to figure this out.
Florida's Alex Condon has declared for the NBA Draft
One of the biggest issues with the Timberwolves' situation and choosing what roster decisions to make involves finances, right? With the new CBA and its rules, roster building from a money perspective has become harder than ever. Well, there would be one clear way to neutralize this, and it involves drafting a rookie.
The University of Florida's Alex Condon made his declaration for the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday. Projected as a first-round pick, the Timberwolves would have the option of picking up the versatile 6-foot-11 forward at the end of the first round, where he is projected to be picked.
Of course, then the question becomes whether a contending team wants to lean into relying on a rookie while their title window is still open. It's a risky move for sure, but it's not like an option like that is completely unexplored in this day and age in the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies took Zach Edey in the lottery last year, and he has already been a positive for that team.
So if the Timberwolves want to save money in the long term and keep many of their other important pieces, they could let Randle leave and draft Condon to replace him. It's not a perfect strategy by any means, but it is one that could give them a legitimate KAT replacement in the long run while keeping costs down in the present.