The Minnesota Timberwolves have been linked to Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant ad nauseam in recent weeks. With Minnesota known to be searching for an upgrade at the position and Morant available for negotiations, it seems like a match made in heaven.
For as intriguing as the fit may be, the Timberwolves have made consecutive trips to the Conference Finals by emphasizing depth and balance—and would need to abandon that strength to acquire Morant.
Minnesota's franchise-best success has been built upon the ability to turn to a seemingly endless stream of high-level players in tough spots. When one player falters, another is certain to step up—at any of the five positions on the court.
Adding Morant wouldn't necessarily end the Timberwolves' run of success, but it would dramatically alter the constellation of the rotation and culture in place.
That's simply too grand a risk to take on a player whose availability history is as alarming as it is. Morant missed 25 games in 2021-22, 21 in 2022-23, 73 in 2023-24, and 32 in 2024-25. He's already been absent from 21 in 2025-26.
With this in mind, the Timberwolves simply can't justify giving up what works so well for them in the hope that five years of availability issues will suddenly clear up.
Timberwolves' rotation is too strong to blow up for injury-plagued player
Minnesota currently has six players averaging at least 11.0 points per game. There's an obvious hurdle in regard to building beyond the top six players on the roster, but creating an even shorter rotation in favor of a star who may or may not be available on any given night is too grand a risk.
That's particularly true when one considers the fact that each of the top six players on the roster provides positive value to the goal of winning.
Minnesota, which has the fifth-best record in the NBA, has a positive net rating whenever any of Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, or Naz Reid are on the court. Subtracting any of those six players would thus be a significant blow.
Beyond the measure of net rating, the Timberwolves have the unique strength of boasting at least one high-level player at every position on the floor.
Thankfully, Minnesota appears to be aware of how important it is to keep the rotation intact. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line is reporting that the front office is "really not in the market for a high-salaried playmaker."
As such, the Timberwolves could realistically complete a trade for a meaningful talent without having to lose much of anything from the top end of the rotation.
That's a preferable outcome to having to match Morant's $39,446,090 salary. In that scenario, Minnesota would likely need to part with multiple players unless Memphis is willing to swap him for Gobert—and even then, it's unclear if the Timberwolves would oblige.
It's easy to understand why a backcourt built around Edwards and Morant would offer reason for intrigue, but the Timberwolves have every reason to hold off on blowing up the rotation.