Following the Minnesota Timberwolves' second-round exit, some folks began speculating that their title window had closed.
Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo Sports was perhaps the most prominent media pundit to make this claim. And even after the Timberwolves traded for LaMelo Ball (who is just 24 years old), this dialogue (somehow) persists. Bill Simmons was the latest person to add to this narrative.
"First of all, they (the Timberwolves) missed their title window. They were a conference finals team twice in a row, and the West was weaker, and they had a real chance, and they couldn't get there. You go back to that Dallas series; I think that was probably their best chance," Simmons said.Â
To put it bluntly, the idea that the Wolves' window is closed is a stark overreaction. By trading for Ball, the Wolves have an elite backcourt with two players who are just 24 years old.
Moreover, they have plenty of supporting pieces on this timeline: Jaden McDaniels is 25, Ayo Dosunmu is 26, Joan Beringer is 19 and Terrence Shannon Jr. is 25. Even without any future draft picks, this team is built to compete for years to come.
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are two legitimate juggernauts, and yes, losing to Dallas in 2024 was a missed opportunity. Even if the Wolves will never be favored to beat either San Antonio or OKC, that doesn't mean they'll never stand a chance, and one year they could break through, especially after trading for Ball.
The Timberwolves' title window is certainly open
What can't get lost is that the Wolves have made two conference finals in the past three years. Particularly during the 2025 run, Minnesota's roster around Edwards was a clunky fit with two non-spacing big men in the frontcourt, and even in the 2023-24 season, the Wolves ranked just 16th in offensive rating. Again, though, it didn't matter.
Say what you will about LaMelo, but he's a much cleaner fit alongside Ant than Julius Randle was, and he's likely a better fit than Karl-Anthony Towns was.
Throughout his career, Edwards has never had a guard who commands anything close to the level of gravity as a scorer and playmaker that Ball does. This should be a game-changer for him, as it will cut down on the number of times Edwards is double-teamed. In turn, Ball's presence will unlock some extra versatility in the Wolves' offense.
Ant has already done some otherworldly stuff with a less-than-ideal roster context around him. Just imagine what he can do with a more talented and better-fitting roster.
With the possible exception of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Edwards-Ball backcourt is the best in the league. Again, Edwards and Ball have yet to turn 25. Given their age, how well they complement each other, and Minnesota's overall solid roster, how can you say this team never has a chance to win it all?
As currently constructed, I think it's disingenuous to say that this Wolves roster doesn't have a puncher's chance to win a championship both next season and in the foreseeable future.
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