After yet another embarrassing defeat in the playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves face an offseason full of difficult decisions. As currently constructed, the Timberwolves are clearly a step below the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, who only project to get better with time.
With Anthony Edwards entering his prime ages and year seven in the NBA, Tim Connelly and the Timberwolves front office must shake up the Timberwolves roster in order to compete with the top of the Western Conference.
The major theme for the Wolves' offseason should be leaning into Edwards' timeline and trying to build an eventual title winner around him.
Julius Randle must be traded
Recent reporting from Jon Krawczynski has indicated that the reason behind the major statistical drop-offs from Julius Randle following the All-Star break was that his name came up in rumors ahead of the trade deadline. Randle struggled to play through the noise surrounding his name, which became a detriment to the entire team.
Randle's time with the Timberwolves has been filled with ups and downs, but it is imperative that the Timberwolves move on from him. His particular fit with Edwards is intriguing, at times looking like the Timberwolves version of Draymond Green and Stephen Curry.
Yet, Randle struggled immensely from beyond the arc this season, shooting just 31.5 percent. At his best, Randle would look for dribble-handoffs for Donte DiVincenzo and Edwards to generate clean 3-point looks.
However, these possessions were massively outnumbered by Randle's turnovers and poor mid-range shots. As was the case in his time with the Knicks, Randle has shown stretches where he just appears to be mentally checked out. Whether it is a lack of effort on the defensive side or poor body control, Randle has possessions where he simply looks out of the game.
On top of everything else Randle is 31 and thus isn't on Edwards' ideal timeline.
Finding a market for Randle will be difficult for the Timberwolves, as teams know that the counting numbers don't tell the full story. However, Minnesota should be able to benefit from the new anti-tanking rules, and bad teams looking to avoid the bottom three.
While Randle may not be conducive to championship basketball, he has proven that he can elevate a team's floor. Randle led the Knicks to the playoffs in the 2021 season after going multiple seasons without missing the playoffs. Teams like Brooklyn and Sacramento could be candidates to simply dump Randle's contract and accumulate whatever you can get.
The Timberwolves have a Rudy Gobert problem
The Timberwolves are too reliant on Rudy Gobert on both ends of the floor, but in two different ways.
As a defender, Gobert will go down as one of the all-time greats, and he has been crucial to Minnesota's success and escaping NBA purgatory. Gobert's presence as a rim-protector has bailed out the Timberwolves perimeter defenders, making up for their defensive breakdowns.
On the offensive end, Gobert is too important for how limited his skill set is. Gobert, catching out of the pick-and-roll, particularly bounce passes, has been a massive detriment to the Timberwolves.
Additionally, Gobert poses no threat on offense, with his lack of fluidity and touch around the rim. This deficiency nullifies his impact as a screener, as when he does get open and receive the ball, he is unable to muscle through smaller defenders and get the easy two.
Instead, teams foul him hard at the rim, forcing him to get the points from the free-throw line, where he shot 52.6 percent, his lowest mark since his rookie season.
Gobert's game lives within two extremes, and the Timberwolves need more consistency. While it would be virtually impossible to find a big with the defensive impact of Gobert, it would be fairly easy to find one that is much better on offense.
Gobert would have an immense market, assuming the Timberwolves would part ways with him, as many teams could use his services.
The Timberwolves need continued development from their surrounding talent to maximize their title chances
As it currently appears, the only core members of the Timberwolves' future, along with Edwards, are Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Joan Beringer. All three of these players pose interesting yet essential fits alongside Edwards.
Being drafted with Edwards in the 2020 draft, McDaniels is the most important factor to complement Edwards. McDaniels combination of length, defensive prowess, and an expanding offensive game will all be important to relieve Edwards of some of his two-way duties.
As for Reid, his unique offensive skill set as a big man, being able to shoot the three and handle the ball, provides important spacing for Edwards to get to the rim. The former Sixth Man of the Year showed extreme resilience, powering through a shoulder injury sustained earlier in the season.
Finally, Beringer is the most intriguing piece in the Timberwolves timeline. While still raw as a player, Beringer has already shown some of the shot-blocking ability of Gobert, along with an offensive game that already looks a lot more fluid than Gobert's. If he can continue to progress, the Timberwolves' center position will be solidified for the foreseeable future.
Minnesota finds itself at an interesting crossroads in its future. The decisions of this offseason will have a ripple effect on the Timberwolves for years to come. Ultimately, though, leaning into Edwards' timeline is vital for the Wolves to optimize their title chances.
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