The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off three consecutive seasons losing to the eventual Western Conference winner, the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks. In each of these series, it was clear the Timberwolves were a level below their competitors.
This offseason was the time to shake things up. Let's recap Minnesota's offseason and what has to go right for them to challenge the Spurs and Thunder.
The Timberwolves improved this offseason
After salary-dumping Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets, Minnesota went big-fish hunting for a star to pair with Anthony Edwards, pulling off a LaMelo Ball trade. The price of Ball was an emotional one, as Minnesota had to part with fan-favorite Naz Reid, who built himself from an undrafted player into a premier sixth man and shooting big.
While Minnesota celebrated the arrival of a point guard that would make for one of the best backcourts in the league, a massive hole opened in the frontcourt, as Minnesota departed with both of their options in one offseason.
Minnesota flirted with the prospects of LeBron James selecting the Timberwolves as his next destination, but was forced to pivot as LeBron chose Philadelphia.
Without the financial flexibility to lure free agents, Minnesota had to bank on promised playing time and its young, winning culture to attract a forward to round out the starting five.
Luckily for Minnesota, a free agent was precisely in the market looking for the two things Minnesota was offering.
With questions rising about the future of his career, 23-year-old Jonathan Kuminga was looking for an opportunity to rebuild and solidify his NBA future.
The Minnesota Timberwolves offered exactly what he needed, and he offered the same for Minnesota: a young, athletic forward with the tools to be a premier defender in the NBA.
Signing Kuminga to a $12.4 million dollar contract for two years, Minnesota was turning a new page.
For the first time, the team was being built with Edwards at the forefront and an influence on the direction of the team.
As the Thunder and Spurs only look to get better with their surplus of young talent, spearheaded by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, respectively, Minnesota has a team at its best that can compete with either of them.
Minnesota need to embrace playing with pace
If the Timberwolves hope to compete with the Spurs or Thunder, they will need to up their pace.
Minnesota ranked 10th in pace in the 2025-26 season, a number certain to go up with Minnesota's recent acquisitions.
The insertion of Bones Hyland into the bench unit, as well as the acquisition of Ayo Dosunmu at last season's trade deadline, showed just how deadly Minnesota could be if they played with pace. Despite this, the Timberwolves will need Edwards to become an elite transition- offense player to reach the next level.
Despite being one of the premier athletes in the NBA, Edwards prefers slowing it down in transition, rather than using his supreme athleticism to get downhill and make a play.
With an elite playmaker in Ball and a super athlete in Kuminga, if Edwards is willing to buy into playing in transition, Minnesota will be able to generate easy offense, which was a major struggle for the Timberwolves this past season.
The starting lineup must gel quickly
For the third consecutive season, Minnesota will be entering the season with a new starting lineup. This season, Minnesota is preparing to integrate two new starters. For a team that has gotten off to a slow start at the beginning of the season, Minnesota must develop chemistry quickly to compete in a competitive Western Conference.
Fortunately for Minnesota, Ball and Kuminga have been locked in since joining the Timberwolves. Videos and pictures have shown the two locked in at the gym, assimilating themselves into the team.
As training camp is around the corner, it is imperative that Minnesota builds good habits. If the Timberwolves can get off to a fast start and display strong chemistry, they will be prepared come playoff time to face off against the top of the conference.
Timberwolves can't get bored with the basics
Minnesota's success in the past five years has been a blessing and a curse. While it has given fans postseason aspirations, which were uncommon in years past has been great. The Target Center has been a premier playoff arena, as the Timberwolves crowd has been essential to their success.
However, it became increasingly clear that the players would suffer during the regular season. The Timberwolves would get off to slow starts and would try to ramp up in the final stretch of the regular season and the early part of the playoffs.
The Timberwolves team you would see in the regular season would be completely different from that of the playoffs, as the Timberwolves were able to turn it up.
This season, they have to be great throughout. Minnesota can't be flirting with the play-in and must be at the top of the conference.
It's a new era in Minnesota, and if they live up to their potential, they can finally get over the hump and rise to the top of the conference.
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