The disappointing way in which the Minnesota Timberwolves were eliminated from the playoffs has many in the fan base wanting the team to make wholesale changes. That can’t be surprising when the Wolves lost their last two contests against the San Antonio Spurs by a combined 59 points.
A major want from the fans is a more reliable second option after Anthony Edwards. Julius Randle is a talented but quite imperfect player, and the expectation is that he will be traded after a miserable postseason showing.
If Minnesota struggles to find that clear second option due to apron restraints/lack of tradable draft picks in the offseason, leaning into their depth could be a workable option.
Leaning into a team without a traditional second option might not be what fans are hoping for. Likewise, it wouldn't be the pathway that most folks expect the Wolves to go down. In the end, though, this decision could pay off for the Wolves.
Timberwolves won't be short of scoring options without Randle
This season, the Timberwolves finished 14th in the NBA in offensive rating per Cleaning the Glass. That’s a drop from their 8th-place ranking in 2024-25, although that could be in large part because Anthony Edwards missed 21 games in 2025-26 compared to just three the previous year.
Assuming Randle were to be traded, it’s not as if the Timberwolves would be devoid of offensive talent outside of Ant-Man. Perhaps Naz Reid will be inserted into the starting lineup in his place, and he’s averaged 17.2 points over the last four years. That’s not far off the 20 that Randle has averaged per 36 in a Timberwolves jersey.
Turning 26 years old on September 29, Jaden McDaniels is coming off his best offensive season with a career-best scoring average of 14.8 points while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from 3-point range (career-high). While he struggled with his efficiency in the series against the Spurs (he wasn’t the only one), he was much better against the Denver Nuggets in the opening round.
Minnesota will certainly miss Donte DiVincenzo as he recovers from his torn Achilles. It can be argued that Ayo Dosunmu is actually a better scorer and playmaker than him, though. As long as he’s re-signed, he will get to go through his first full training camp with the team after an impactful first 3 months with the club.
It’s also unknown who they would receive back in a trade for Randle, but that player (or players) could also provide some offensive punch. Taking someone like Meleek Thomas or Isaiah Evans with the 28th pick would give them a rookie bucket-getter in a deep draft.
Ideally, the Timberwolves may want that reliable second option that can perform on a nightly basis. The team should still have enough scoring in most games, as long as Ant stays healthy, and should still be able to rely on a defensive identity.
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