The Minnesota Timberwolves will be linked to every star you can imagine this offseason. Of course, the Wolves are trying to build a championship winner around Anthony Edwards. Regardless, the Wolves must ensure that they have a roster built to compete for years to come rather than going "all in" on a short title window that might result in them falling short.
I'm not saying that the Wolves should abandon trading for older stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, or Kyrie Irving. If these trades cause the Wolves to gut their depth and/or sacrifice significant young talent, though, it might be better to go in a different direction.
Not only do you need a long-term plan around Ant if you are trading for an aging star, but the NBA is also trending toward depth. To truly compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, you need a deep and sustainable roster.
Edwards will turn 25 this summer. When you have a player this accomplished and talented at such a young age, your title window is inherently prolonged.
Without many of their future picks, though, the Wolves' only path to building a sustainable contender around Edwards is with Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Joan Beringer. The Wolves need to be aggressive but not foolish when pursuing star trades, and they must prioritize keeping theirreported core alongside Ant of McDaniels, Reid, and Beringer.
The Timberwolves must focus on building a sustainable contender around Edwards
Luckily, Tim Connelly seems focused on keeping these three players, but it's worth wondering whether he will stay this firm if trading one of McDaniels, Reid, and Beringer is necessary for the Wolves to land a game-changing star. If this is your only chance to land a high-level star (even if that star is aging), next to Ant parting ways with one of these players might prove to be worth it.
However, the Wolves must ensure that they keep at the very least some of their younger core intact. This could prove to be tricky, especially in the event of a Giannis trade.
McDaniels and Reid, in particular, have proven to be ideal fits alongside Ant. Both players are essential to building a long-term contender and winning in the short term. It's also possible that they could improve with a bigger role in the offense. Beringer, while not nearly as proven, projects to be the Wolves' center of the future and should only be traded if the move clearly benefits Minnesota.
The need for talented players who fit Ant's timeline and complement his skill set also makes re-signing the 26-year-old Ayo Dosunmu vital. Much like how the Wolves Ant, McDaniels, Reid, and Beringer are their core, all signs point to them retaining Ayo. Regardless, you never know what's going to happen in free agency, and the Wolves' pursuit of a star could complicate things.
To me, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert are the obvious trade candidates. It's unclear what caliber of star these two talented yet flawed big men will yield in their respective trades. Ideally, though, you can trade one of them for a dependable co-star alongside Ant while retaining your 26 and under core.
Now, if you have to trade some of your limited draft capital and/or Terrence Shannon Jr. to get the job done, that's fine in my book. Within all likelihood, though, that's as far as I would go.
Again, winning the championship is Minnesota's goal, but no roster can guarantee that, and going all in on a condensed window would be a mistake.
As such, the true goal is to build a long-term perennial championship threat around Edwards. That's your best chance of winning a championship one day, and to do that, you can't gut a supporting cast tailor-made to complement Ant for years to come.
The good news is that the Timberwolves seem committed to their sub-26 core despite their dreams of landing a star, but it's something they must keep in mind throughout the offseason.
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