What’s Next For the Minnesota Timberwolves?

Making strides in 2021-2022, the Minnesota Timberwolves had high hopes for this past season after acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t stay healthy in 2022-2023 and finished with four fewer wins than the year prior, which ended in a miserable 4-1 first-round exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.

Karl-Anthony Towns missed 52 games due to injuries, only playing 34 total games with Gobert. They won 16 of those.

Minnesota enters a fresh offseason looking to build on a promising roster. They have some solid pieces and could make it to the playoffs again next season, but the squad is not good enough to compete for an NBA Championship right now. 

Here are some things the Timberwolves need to address this offseason.

Before focusing on anything else, the Timberwolves must secure contract extensions with some of their younger players, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid.

Edwards fulfilled the high expectations set for him after being selected first overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. The 21-year-old had career highs across the board, averaging 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He should be in line for a max extension of over $200 million this summer and is a key player for Minnesota moving forward.

McDaniels will also be looking at a hefty contract this offseason. The 22-year-old has proven to be one of the best defenders in the NBA and has immense potential. On the other hand, Reid will be more difficult to re-sign due to a crowded frontcourt. Nonetheless, the Wolves should focus on re-signing the 23-year-old because of his potential. The center had the best season of his career in 2023, and the front office has made it clear they want to keep him for the future.

Minnesota can solidify its competitiveness for years by locking in its young core. This must be their top priority this offseason.

The most significant issue the Timberwolves had this past season came from the bench. In the playoffs, the Nuggets exposed their lack of depth, with the bench averaging 18.8 points per game (third worst in the NBA). Minnesota’s backups shot 34.6% from the field. The team needs to address that this offseason by adding a scorer who can help keep the pace when Towns and Edwards hit the bench. Someone like Seth Curry, Gary Trent Jr., or Lonnie Walker IV fits the prototype they should be looking for and are all set to hit free agency.

To complement a scorer off the bench, the Wolves should also look to improve another weak spot on their roster, their backcourt. At 35 years old, Mike Conley is not the player he once was, and the team could benefit from cutting some of his minutes by adding a more consistent point guard to the lineup. Players like Fred VanVleet or Kyrie Irving could immediately address this issue, but the team is pressed for cap space. 

A trade to free some cap space would go a long way. Regardless, the team cannot rely on drafting a fix for those situations, with only a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

We have to talk about the elephant in the room, the frontcourt. The big-ball experiment cannot be labeled a failure yet, as Towns and Gobert barely played together. However, the team would be silly not to explore trade options for one of their two big men.

The two lost more games than they won when playing together this season, and the lineup was awkward when both were on the court. Towns especially suffered, going -46 in the series against Denver.

There is also the Reid factor. He has made considerable strides and is more than capable of being a starter. If the Wolves’ front office can cook up a trade to off-load either Towns or Gobert, they could use that money to address other areas. Damian Lillard is a name to target for a potential trade, or they could look to a sign-and-trade with a free-agent guard. 

Either way, the Timberwolves need to fix their frontcourt this offseason.