The Minnesota Timberwolves have been to two conference finals in three years. They have a 25-year-old superstar. This offseason, they filled their biggest need (playmaking and creation alongside Anthony Edwards) by trading for LaMelo Ball. Outside of Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo (when he returns), Minnesota's entire rotation is made up of players who are 26 years old or younger.
Surely, the Wolves have one of the league's brightest futures, right? According to ESPN, that's wrong. Recently, it ranked all NBA teams' three-year outlook, Minnesota slotted in at 16, a notable decrease from last season's ranking of 11. This simply makes no sense. Some especially odd teams above them include the Atlanta Hawks (9), Cleveland Cavaliers (10), and my personal favorite, the Charlotte Hornets (7).
Look, if this were a 10-year outlook, I could understand that. Now, I still wouldn't agree with labeling the Wolves' future as average given their age and immediate championship equity. However, the Wolves' lack of future draft picks is a valid concern. As a refresher, from now until 2033, they only own their pick in 2032, and the least favorable swap in 2030 and 2028.
This is a real problem, but it's one that likely won't cost the Timberwolves until after this three-year window. Even then, I'm dubious about the severity of this issue, given how well-positioned the Wolves are to win and their young core.
The Timberwolves have a ton of championship equity over the next three seasons
When looking at teams that could win a title within the next three years, the Timberwolves are a top-seven team at minimum. They have the needed experience. They have a 1A star. And now they finally have a team that fits him.
Edwards and LaMelo are the league's best backcourt duo. Jaden McDaniels is an elite point-of-attack stopper with a growing offensive game. Rudy Gobert is an elite rim protector. Ayo Dosunmu is an elite complementary guard. Jonathan Kuminga is a quality two-way forward, though he might be a one-year rental. Joan Beringer has the upside to be a high-end center for years to come.
Where is the glaring flaw with this roster?
Sure, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are standing in their way, but outside of those two teams and the defending champion New York Knicks, few squads check as many championship boxes as Minnesota. Frankly, if the Spurs and the Thunder are the biggest concern about the Wolves' three-year outlook, you could say the same thing about every team.
To ESPN's credit, the Wolves ranked ninth in their players category. I'd argue they should be higher, but ninth is reasonable. They didn't score well in the other four categories: management (16), draft (30), money (26), and market (20). The last three are fair, but management should be far higher.
Tim Connelly is one of the league's most aggressive and successful executives. The Timberwolves don't make two conference finals runs without him, and he may have built a title-winning team.
The big concern ESPN has is that the Ball trade could backfire. Even though I think he's an ideal fit alongside Ant, there's a chance this is true considering his injury woes. However, what ESPN is failing to account for is that Connelly will find a way out of this issue if things go south.
Look at what he did this summer to reshuffle the roster with limited assets. Given the age of Minnesota's core players, a move will be available if things don't work out, and Connelly will find a way to make it work despite being limited in draft capital.
The bigger picture here is that this is a three-year outlook, and Minnesota undeniably has some of the most title equity over the next three years. Who cares if teams like the Hornets have draft capital? They are banking on using that draft capital to find a superstar via the draft or trade market. The Timberwolves already have one.
When you have a 25-year-old superstar with a well-rounded and young roster, your chances of winning a championship in the next several seasons are among the highest in the league, and Minnesota has exactly that. Picks be damned; they have one of the 10 brightest three-year outlooks at the bare minimum. Considering all of this, ESPN's ranking is nothing short of laughable.
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