January is shaping up to be an enormous month for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Altogether, they will play in 16 games, starting with Saturday’s game on the road against the Miami Heat.
Once the first month of the new year is complete, the Timberwolves will play in two more before the February 5 trade deadline. Their play in January can help dictate the decision for Tim Connelly and the front office in possibly making a move to bolster the lineup.
16 games in January
In January, Minnesota will go on the road nine times while performing at the Target Center in seven outings. They will play four consecutive away games spanning from January 13 to 20.
10 of their 16 games in the month will be played against teams that currently possess a record over .500. While the Timberwolves have been performing better of late against winning teams, they are still just 6-9 against them on the year.
January could be a pivotal month for the Wolves.
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) January 2, 2026
— 16 games
— 9 on the road
— 10 against teams over .500
— 2nd-hardest strength of schedule (.526) among all Western Conference teams.
MIN is 21-13, 2.5 games out of 3rd in the West and 3 games out of 8th. Trade deadline: Feb. 5. pic.twitter.com/dOKOeFmYMP
Minnesota also has three back-to-backs in January, starting with Saturday’s game, followed by a game the next day on the road against the Washington Wizards. The month also sees the Wolves play the San Antonio Spurs twice, along with the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder once apiece. Those are the three top teams at the moment in the Western Conference.
Important month for team and Chris Finch
Right now, the Timberwolves’ 21-13 record places them sixth in the Western Conference. They are just one game ahead of the seventh-ranked Phoenix Suns, who have the first play-in spot in the West. With more than half the regular season remaining, a lot can change.
Once January is complete, Minnesota will have played 50 of 82 games. There should be a much greater sense of their place on the totem pole in the West. Minnesota is also just 1.5 games behind the third-place Rockets, so there is a lot of movement in the standings that can occur.
Two glaring needs for the Timberwolves as the trade deadline is a little over a month away are a point guard and an improved bench. Would a subpar January cause more urgency for Connelly and the front office to make a move? We know Connelly has no fear in making deals since joining the Timberwolves.
A lot of the fanbase is also beginning to sour on head coach Chris Finch. An in-season firing may be surprising (particularly for a head coach who has helped guide them to back-to-back conference finals), but we saw the Denver Nuggets make a very late move last year in firing Mike Malone, and he won a title for the franchise.
So buckle up for a crucial January for the Timberwolves. We know Connelly will be working the phones throughout the month, and how the team performs may alter the odds of seeing a different roster come February 5.