The Minnesota Timberwolves: A 2025-26 Offseason Outlook
Overview
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in an enviable position. Having made the Western Conference Finals two years in a row, and with a rising superstar and potential future face of the NBA in Anthony Edwards, the Wolves’ trajectory is currently pointing upward. The success and resilience shown by the team this season were impressive. This is particularly so given the fact that the Timberwolves made a franchise-altering trade just days before the beginning of Training Camp (when the team traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo). The Wolves have a deep and talented team paradoxically characterized by both experience and youth and which is capable of being dominant on both sides of the ball. And yet, despite the success and the bright future, the Wolves appear to be approaching a crossroads. In what is an extremely competitive conference stacked with elite teams and stars, there is zero guarantee that any one franchise could consistently achieve its goals (or ceiling) without demonstrated improvement on a year-to-year basis. Because the Wolves team must traverse a gap to bridge the distance between itself and the conference’s projected dominant team (the Oklahoma City Thunder), certain questions about the future of the Wolves organization are being asked. What is next? How can the team take the next and final step? What will what has become a pivotal decision-loaded offseason have in store for the franchise?
This newsletter will present a foundational analysis of the Wolves’ current financial picture and strategic standing as it heads into the 2025-26 offseason. As such, I will highlight the team’s largest requisites, explore the most pressing questions the team faces, and forecast both the organization’s tools for roster-building and the key factors that might influence its planning. Lastly, I will present my own perspective about how the Wolves should approach the summer, as well as potential pathways forward.
Finally, if you would like a deliverable version of this newsletter that has additional tidbits of information, feel free to download the PDF attached below!
Season Recap
Record: 49-33 (6th in WCF)
Playoff Result: Lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games in the Western Conference Finals
Notable Moves:
Acquired Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a 1st Round Pick (via Detroit) from the New York Knicks in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns
Traded an unprotected 2031 1st Round Pick and a top-1 protected 2030 1st Round Pick for the 8th overall pick - (drafted Rob Dillingham)
Main Offseason Questions
How can the organization close the gap between itself and teams at the top of the conference/league, specifically the Thunder?
Continuity or a major star trade?
There are three potential FA decisions that need to be made amongst Randle, Alexander-Walker, and Reid; how will these situations play out?
Who should be prioritized?
Can/will the team play the depreciated market against these players?
Does the team want to stay under the 2nd Apron?
Does the team want to go big-fish hunting?
Is making another major move smart?
Can/should certain of the younger depth pieces be penciled into rotation spots next season?
Biggest Needs
Get under the 2nd Apron
An upgrade at PG/ball-handler, whether that be a starter or off the bench
Internal development
Determining which of Reid, Randle, and Alexander-Walker will be least likely to return
Figure out who should be prioritized
Raise the bar
The Financials
As currently constructed, the Wolves head into the 2025-26 offseason a projected $12.8M under the 2nd Apron, $954K under the 1st Apron, and $4.4M over the Tax, and with thirteen contracts on the books (this does not include potential draft pick salary slots). The Wolves currently have the 17th pick in the 2025 Draft, which is a $3.5M Cap Hold. (This would shave approximately the same amount of Space if such pick were to be used and adds another salary slot to the books). Of the thirteen, eleven are fully guaranteed. The organization has $0M in waived salary, $2.6M in unlikely bonuses (which would count toward Apron salary calculation), will have two UFAs hit the market, and will have zero RFAs. Additionally, two players have a TOs, two players have POs, and two players have contracts that are NG. Currently, the Wolves face a projected $4.4M Tax payment, which, in addition to the $192M salary on the books, means that the total roster payment will top $196.7M. However, if Reid and Randle were to exercise their POs and opt-out of their respective contracts, the team would have approximately $58M in 2nd Apron space and $46M in 1st Apron space. In general, when analyzing the Wolves Cap Sheet, if, say, Alexander-Walker were to leave in Free Agency, the Wolves would be able to put its 2nd Apron space to use, either by using it on the open market to sign Free Agents, or to potentially bump up the salaries of Reid or Randle (if they were each to opt-out and demand an increase in salary).
Free Agents, Options, and Tools to Upgrade
The biggest in-house questions that need to be answered center on the Wolves three potential Free Agents: Randle, Reid, and Alexander-Walker. Each of these players was crucial to the Wolves this past season and played a large role in the team’s overall success. At a minimum, the three were consistent rotation players, ranking 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively, in terms of total regular season minutes played, and 2nd, 6th, and 8th in the playoffs. Losing any of the three (without replacement) would be a blow to the Wolves’ depth. And yet, the respective situations of the three players are intertwined. How the Wolves choose to approach one will have a trickle-down effect on the other two. This is because there figures to be only so much space to go around if the team attempts to stay under the 2nd Apron; something that I believe should happen given the nature of 2nd Apron roster-building restrictions. The team should essentially use the threshold as a Hard-Cap. The organization would therefore be forced to choose a combination of certain of its three Free Agents if the financial situation plays out in accordance with current projections. Additionally, if the Wolves choose to pursue a big move this summer (which will be expanded upon below), outside of Edwards, arguably every player could be available for trade depending upon the deal.
However, once again, Randle, Reid, and Alexander-Walker are directly tied into this trade discussion. If either Randle or Reid were to opt-in, he would be able to be traded on the spot. If either or both were to opt-out and re-sign with Minnesota as Free Agents, they would be ineligible to be traded until December 15th (or January 15th depending on if they got a raise of 120%+ of their previous year’s salary). Taking those salary slots off the table in trade, along with Edwards’ salary slot would restrict who the Wolves would be able to move if it were to try to acquire a high (or Max) salary player.
That said, as currently constructed, the team is over the Tax, and is close to the Apron, with roster spots that need to be filled out. The team is restricted regarding potential moves and roster-building flexibility. This could, and probably will, change. The organization has the ability to get to the minimum roster requirement of 14 players by using its draft picks. It has access to the TMLE, but either could lose access to it, or gain access to the NTMLE, depending upon how the various contractual decisions play out. Finally, the team has three available TPEs of note; however, if any were to be used in the offseason, it would result in 1st Apron Hard-Caps since the TPEs were created in the previous league year.
Contracts and Valuations
To examine the Wolves’ three potential Free Agents and the contracts that they could command, one first must understand the projected Free Agent landscape. The 2025-26 NBA free-agent market is expected to be curtailed by limited Cap Space across the league and a noticeable lack of marquee free agents. Extensions have reduced the talent pool, with only one team (the Nets) projecting to have significant cap room. Even then, the Nets organization is far from a guarantee with respect to using its space in Free Agency, and there could be a “bidding war” to take advantage of its Cap Space via trade. That said, there will be ample signing exception space available, with the NTMLE projected to be a prominent player, as there is a large collection of teams, each of which will likely have access to it. Overall, I envision that this Free Agency period will be distinguished by value signings, as teams navigate financial constraints, Hard Caps, and Aprons by prioritizing cost-effective contracts and by maximizing free agent tools that are at their disposal.
With this as a backdrop, Alexander-Walker may be the easiest of the Wolves’ potential Free Agents to project in terms of market value. Given the widespread availability of the NTMLE and the scarcity of quality Free Agents, Alexander-Walker fits the mold of a player who will generate interest: a capable two-way rotation guard who can defend at a high level and provide floor spacing. Over the past three offseasons, the full NTMLE has only been used three times, one per year, with De’Anthony Melton’s 1-year deal last summer being the most recent example. Still, Alexander-Walker could realistically command a number close to, or equal to, this year’s NTMLE. Based on current cap projections, that would mean a starting salary of $14.1M and a four-year, $60.6M total deal with standard 5% annual increases. If the Wolves make re-signing Alexander-Walker a priority and believe that an open market team could offer him the full NTMLE, they might choose to go slightly above that figure to retain him — offering a contract that could look like the following:
This deal would represent a meaningful investment, signaling a high degree of faith in Alexander-Walker’s value to the organization both on and off the court. However, this would also raise key strategic questions. The Wolves traded for DiVincenzo last season, a player with a similar profile and role, and it has young guards such as Dillingham, Clark, and Shannon Jr. waiting in the wings. Given this context, is committing this level of money to Alexander-Walker the right call and should he be prioritized due to the realistic state of the market, along with the team’s standing in the league landscape? These questions will be explored more fully in the “Approach” and “Potential Pathways” sections below.
Moving onto Randle, his contract situation is more complex, with several potential courses of action to be considered. There is no denying Randle’s talent; his accolades speak for themselves as a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection. After a slow start with the Wolves, Randle hit his stride, adapted well, and played a key role in the Wolves’ 30–6 finish to the regular season. Despite a rough showing against the Thunder to end the playoffs, Randle was arguably the team’s best player at various points throughout the postseason. Randle’s $30 million PO might initially appear low; however, in the context of the current market, it could represent better value than it appears at first glance. Randle’s overall situation raises several critical questions:
Which team would pay him?
Is there a team willing to offer both the term and AAV that he is seeking?
How does Randle value himself relative to the current market?
These questions, among others, will shape how this plays out. In terms of contractual pathways, several realistic options are in play:
Opt-in and do not extend
Opt-in and extend
Opt-out and re-sign/extend
Opt-out and do not re-sign
If Randle opts out, a S&T is theoretically possible. However, there is also a chance that his market simply fails to materialize due to the league-wide cap crunch and a limited pool of interested buyers. In that case, Randle might decide to wait for 2026-27 Free Agency, when more teams are projected to have meaningful cap space. That makes opting in a realistic possibility. Of course, there is also an inherent risk in opting in. The 2026–27 market may not develop as hoped, and opting in would also leave Randle exposed to being traded - something he may want to avoid. Alternatively, Randle could opt out and re-sign with the Wolves on a deal that offers less money per year in exchange for long-term security (for example, 3-year $100M). This scenario would also grant him a trade restriction, since he would be re-signing as a Free Agent. The final option would be to extend Randle off of the PO. This path could preserve trade eligibility, presuming the new deal fits within the parameters of the extend-and-trade rules.
I will dive into the “why” and “when” of which option the Wolves may prefer in the “Potential Pathways” section below.
Finally, the discussion turns to Reid. The 2023-24 6th Man of the Year is one of the most fascinating players in the league. A high-impact bench player with a unique profile and skillset for a Big (it can be argued that he is a Small Forward in a Center’s body), Reid could be the classic example of a player who could flourish if given a bigger role. It is arguable that he is worth more than his $15M PO, so opting out seems to be the likely outcome. Similarly to Alexander-Walker, the Wolves have Reid’s Full Bird Rights, meaning that the team would be able to theoretically pay him up to his applicable Max. And akin to Randle, the Wolves and Reid face similar options regarding opting-in, opting-out, and extending. If Reid opts out in the face of the Wolves wanting to re-sign him, the team will only have whatever 2nd Apron space it has to give Reid a pay increase assuming it wants to stay under the 2nd Apron. (The same logic applies to Randle.) It is harder to pin down Reid’s value because he could command a significant degree of interest if he were to hit the open market. That said, a potential deal might look as follows:
As with Randle, an S&T with Reid could also be realistically on the table dependent upon how the Wolves organization perceives Reid, his impact, his market, and what the team could fetch in a return package. This option may be more germane for Reid than for Randle because Reid most likely will have a lower contractual value. This value would make it easier for salary matching purposes (in other words, a salary that needs to be put on the table in the return package). It should be noted that Base Year Compensation (BYC) in an S&T would apply if Reid or Randle signs for more than a 20% raise, among other things.
The West Factor
The league landscape is ever-changing. That said, to put it simply, the West is shaping up to be a gauntlet for many years to come. It is deep, stacked with talent, and features 14 teams that each plausibly views itself as a playoff contender — and many harbor even loftier ambitions. And yet, only one can represent the conference in the Finals. Only one can achieve the ultimate goal. This has led to an arms race, with much of the league’s top-end talent now concentrated in the West. When the margin for error is so tight, success often comes down to the smallest details. Still, high-end star talent and quality depth remain non-negotiable. All of these factors shape how Front Offices’ approach planning, processes, roster-building, and overall offseasons. How will this dynamic affect the Wolves? How will the Front Office continue to navigate an extremely competitive pathway to the top, having come so close, yet fallen just short, of breaking through?
Approach and Objectives
Above everything else, the Timberwolves’ Front Office must decide whether the status quo is a good enough foundation for the organization to bridge the gap to the top of the conference. What will give the team the best chance to compete for, and win, a championship in 2025-26, presuming that this is the main overarching goal? The answer to this question will determine whether the organization will strengthen the foundation and stay the course, or make a splash move that would raise the ceiling. Because of the state of the conference, the team must decide how much it should put into the back-to-back Conference Finals appearances, as well as how well it stacks up to its competitors. Overall, in my opinion, there needs to be improvement — whether that improvement comes from within or comes from the outside remains to be determined. If the Front Office decides that the way to best position the team to accomplish its goals is through a trade of significance, then it should pursue it. However, if it believes in its core and foundation, and does not view a star trade as “reasonable” and justifiable from a cost perspective (among other things such as the star not fitting the timeline), running it back while trying to solidify the floor should not be ruled out. Overall, the Wolves have shown a willingness to make bold unexpected moves (e.g. the Gobert trade and the Towns trade), so the team’s potential for boldness can neither be ignored nor dismissed.
If the team chooses to run it back, Randle and Reid should be prioritized over Alexander-Walker because of the in-house replacements on roster (e.g. DiVincenzo, Clark, and Shannon Jr.). Randle and Reid were the team’s second- and third-leading scorers in the regular season, and second- and fourth-leading scorers in the playoffs. That type of production is hard to replace. That said, it could be worth exploring Reid’s S&T market if his asking price is higher than the range the Wolves organization is willing to play, and teams will surely have interest in him.
Additionally, there should be a desire to stay under the 2nd Apron. That said, there is a very real chance that the Wolves will have an actual 2nd Apron Hard-Cap regardless of the pathway it selects. This is because if it makes a star trade, it will have to aggregate salaries, and if it stays the course, it could (and arguably should) use the TMLE, if it has the space, to add to its rotation. This desire would dictate how the Wolves organization handles its three main potential Free Agents. And hovering over all of these decisions is Edwards, the face of the franchise. How to best capitalize on his growth needs to be determined. Should the team take a longer-term approach since he is only 23, soon to be 24? Or should the Front Office prioritize targeting players who either fit his off-court timeline or his on-court profile (irrespective of timeline). The Wolves’ roster has a healthy mix of experience and youth, so leaning into one path over the other is justifiable.
Finally, even if the team decides to keep the same group together, that should not prevent it from searching for upgrades on both the Free Agent and trade market. Due to having a roster that is largely filled out and is in shouting distance of meeting the minimum roster requirement, if the team has access to and room for the TMLE, it should consider using it. Searching for value on the veteran minimum market could also be useful, regardless of the path chosen. Perhaps, even attempting to trade a rotation player for an upgrade could become an option if the right player is available.
Potential Paths
If this pathway is taken, the Wolves' Front Office would be showing significant faith in its current foundation vis-à-vis its pursuit of winning a championship. Above all, it would be a vote of confidence in its Star, Edwards, to elevate the team to heights it has never reached before. The team would be banking on Edwards’ continued development - which appears likely given his current trajectory. This approach would reflect an effort to raise the floor through continuity, rather than reshaping the roster to raise the ceiling. The belief would be that the Wolves' current ceiling is already that of a title-winner and would reflect a certainty that whatever Star that might appear on the trade market is not worth the pursuit and potential cost. The Front Office would be relying on internal growth in this scenario, banking on development from younger players, and on the players’ inherent team chemistry. That said, there is a fundamental reality of investing a lot of money into a core. Teams need to get creative to upgrade, even if such upgrades occur on the margins. This is what will likely happen in Minnesota if the organization chooses this path. And coupled with the likely desire to stay under the 2nd Apron, the team would be forced into an array of interesting decisions (the most fundamental of which centers upon what to do with its three potential Free Agents).
Randle’s role in this scenario remains fascinating, as he would presumably be in the team’s 2025-26 plans. If this is the case, the chances of the two sides coming together to work toward agreement over a deal would rise. However, as stated above in the “Contract Section,” even if both sides desire coming to terms, this might not be the simplest process in large part due to Randle having a PO. If his contract had a TO, the Wolves would have leverage over the process and have a higher chance of dictating the negotiation process along with getting a more team-friendly deal. However, because Randle has a PO, he can always threaten to opt out and test the market, which makes his future with the organization murkier. Now because the Free Agent landscape might not develop in a Randle-friendly way, the organization could attempt to leverage the market against him. From Randle’s perspective, he might want to opt out and re-sign with the Wolves as a Free Agent so that he gets a six-month trade restriction, ensuring that he would not be moved during the offseason. However, even if Randle is in the team’s future plans, the team might want to keep its options fully open (specifically pertaining to the trade market). This, in and of itself, could further impact a negotiation. This could mean wanting Randle to opt in and extend (within the extend and trade restrictions), so that Randle’s salary slot stays available. Finally, from an on-court perspective, Randle’s impact should not be understated. If the team does not pursue a Star on the market, from an on-court perspective, it makes sense to bring Randle back to be the team’s #2 option. All in all, the chances of Randle being on the team in the coming season, with or without a contract, would rise if this is the pathway selected.
With this in mind, the decision regarding which potential Free Agent to bring back would come down to Reid and Alexander-Walker. Of the two, I would prioritize Reid, due to the in-house replacements that are already on roster for Alexander-Walker, and because of Reid’s relative importance. However, his situation could also get tricky. Reid is likely to opt out of his $15M 2025-26 salary. If Reid’s demands are more than what the Wolves are willing to pay, exploring his S&T market could be smart (so long as the Wolves are able to find a replacement for his production and role). In an S&T, the BYC issue could arise if Reid gets a substantial salary raise. This would have an impact upon what the team could acquire in return for Reid, since it would presumably have to acquire some form of salary in return as Reid would not be signing into another team’s NTMLE. If the Wolves Front Office attempts to convince Reid to opt in and extend, it would give the team more financial wiggle-room in the short term. Reid could exchange a lower 2025-26 salary for term and a strong number. (He could tack on 4-years $94M starting in 2026-27.) That said, if Reid opts out, he could very likely get a similar deal starting this summer (either as a Free Agent or through an extension) and hit Free Agency a year sooner down the line. Thus, in my opinion the chances of Reid opting-in and extending are slim.
Even though I recommend prioritizing Reid, if the team were to S&T him, then bringing back Alexander-Walker would become more of a possibility. Or, if the team wants to choose the less-expensive option, re-signing Alexander-Walker might factor into play. One underlying reason to choose this path would be to increase 2nd Apron wiggle-room so that the team has more flexibility to add on the margins.
Overall, if the organization chooses this pathway, I still believe that it should search for potential rotation upgrades to solidify the foundation, whether that be through Free Agency or trade. The combined salaries for whichever of the Free Agents that return would determine how much 2nd Apron space the Wolves will have with which to operate. If for example it is Randle and Reid, and the two players combine for a 2025-26 salary of approximately $50M, it would give the Wolves roughly $7M in 2nd Apron space to work with (if the 17th picked is used, the figure would drop). This number is fluid and can/will increase or decrease given other moves made. With this space, the Wolves could attempt to find another veteran ball-handler/PG, a player the team might need. If the team wanted to pursue a more impactful player, it could attempt to package a salary such as Conley’s with other small assets to find players who are undervalued in the eyes of the Front Office.
If the Wolves pursue this pathway, the Front Office would be taking a gamble, expending many of its chips upon a Star, with the hope that pairing this player with Edwards would be enough to lead the organization to championship glory. It would be a risk; however, it would be a calculated one, with the Wolves betting on the remaining pieces post-trade to solidify the foundation. This move would be a direct response to the hyper-competitiveness of the Western Conference, rooted in the belief that the gap between the Wolves and the top tier can only be closed through a trade of a certain magnitude. That said, the Wolves Front Office is not one to shy away from risk. In fact, it embraces it. This approach would align with previous bold decisions and the broader vision already in motion. The goal here would be clear: to significantly raise the team's ceiling and capitalize on the momentum that the organization has created over the last two seasons.
That said, the process of identifying and then trading for a Star would not be simple, and the Wolves organization would have several hurdles to navigate in order to pull it off. Being a 1st Apron team complicates matters, and since teams in this current league landscape attempt to work around Hard-Cap situations, a Wolves Star-trade could, and probably would, end up being a multi-team deal. The more teams involved, the more complicated a deal becomes. Additionally, reviewing the Wolves Cap Sheet hints at further potential issues. For starters, if an Apron team is trading for a Star while abiding by salary matching rules, it must have at least one chunk salary heading out. Despite having a high total Team Salary in 2025-26, the Wolves project to have only one player making north of $35M in Edwards. I believe that for the right Star, outside of Edwards, the Wolves should be willing to include every player on roster in trade talks and in a deal.
However, ironically, it is the balancing of the books that could cause issues on the Wolves-side in a trade: if the team needs to aggregate salaries to build up to a certain threshold (say a salary around $50M), it will have to include multiple salaries in order to get to and cross over this number. This is the down-stream impact from trading Towns and the breaking up of his Max contract slot into multiple salary slots. For example, if the Wolves want to reach a salary of $54M (such as Durant’s), depending on the trade configuration, it could mean sending a minimum of three players out in a deal purely for salary matching purposes. This most certainly would put a strain on the team’s depth. What further complicates matters is the respective situation of Randle and Reid, each of which involves a PO. As addressed earlier, each of these players could become potential salary in a Star trade. However, each could also completely remove himself from the option list if he were to opt-out and/or re-sign as a Free Agent. If one (specifically Randle) or both opt-in, that could make life easier. If they each were to be an S&T as a part of the larger deal, that would add another layer to the negotiation. On top of this, if the Wolves were to pull off a deal of such magnitude, it does not mean that the team will automatically have more financial flexibility. In fact, because the organization would likely send out more players than it brings in, it will have to fill out more roster spots post-trade. The lower the salary of the Star that the Wolves try and acquire, the less salary that it will have to send out for matching. If the organization decides to keep Jaden McDaniels at all costs, this further restricts its options regarding who can be sent out. Also, the move likely will not free up the space for the Wolves to retain whichever (or all) of its three key potential Free Agents that were not included in any Star-trade deal. All in all, this is a highly complex situation.
Turning now to identifying who that Star could be, one clear answer is Durant. And, accordingly, he will be used for the purposes of this exercise. To flesh this out, say a deal was struck at its most basic salary-matching form for Durant, which involves trading Randle (who for the purposes of this scenario opts in) and McDaniels. This would be enough to acquire Durant from a salary prospect. However, this trade would hinge upon the presumption that the Suns’ post-trade salary would end up below the 2nd Apron, which would allow the Suns to reroute salary elsewhere to avoid a 1st Apron Hard-Cap. As touched upon in the chart below, the Wolves would gain $1M in extra space, according the team another roster spot that would need to be filled. Provided all things remain status quo, this would still mean having to choose between Reid and Alexander-Walker. Or, in another scenario, say that the Wolves wanted to keep McDaniels; it could send out either Randle or Gobert, and a combination of DiVincenzo, Conley, and other small salaries. This scenario would put an enormous strain on the Wolves’ depth. However, if the Front Office feels comfortable with its post-trade depth given the latter scenario, and remains confident in younger players stepping up, perhaps this is less of an issue. In any event, the following is a chart describing the Wolves financial situation based on certain of the potential combinations for a Durant trade:
This chart illustrates that, while it is difficult for the Wolves to navigate a potential trade, it remains doable. This is because the team would likely have enough space post-trade to add onto, for example, Reid’s contract (assuming he is on roster), or if Reid leaves, re-sign Alexander-Walker, while filling out the roster. It needs to be said that these salaries are from the 2025-26 season, whereas a trade could be pulled off in the coming weeks and be based upon salaries from the 2024-25 season. This could change how many salary slots would need to be sent out. For example, Gobert’s salary is $8M higher now than in 2025-26, meaning fewer salaries would need to be aggregated. This would be important if Gobert is in the deal. (And if Randle is not in the deal, his future could be murky, since he would have been presumably replaced as the team’s #2 option.) Regardless, the underlying rationale and calculus would remain relatively the same. All in all, as stated above, one cannot put it past the Wolves Front Office to pursue such a pathway since it has consistently operated in a bold manner regarding making moves to capitalize in a window and pushing the team closer to a championship. If the goal is to close the distance and compete for and win a title in the near-future, and the Wolves Front Office feels that a Star trade (and the targeting of a particular Star) is the best way to accomplish this, then such a trade simply cannot be ruled out. If the Front Office does not think that it is worth the risk, or does not want to deviate from the Edwards-timeline in such a manner, then the chances of a star trade (and specifically one for Durant) likely decline.
Potential Free Agent Targets *will continue to be updated*: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Chris Paul, Tyus Jones, Tre Jones, Malcolm Brogdon
Potential Trade Targets *will continue to be updated*: Kevin Durant, Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball
Potential Trade Ideas *will continue to be updated*:
Trade #1
Wolves: Ball
Bulls: Conley, Pick 31
Trade #2
Wolves: Durant
Suns: Randle OR Gobert and a combination of DiVincenzo, Conley, Dillingham, Shannon Jr., and a Pick
Third Team: One of the group of players from the second bucket for Salary Matching (would depend on who was going to the Suns)
Trade #3
Wolves: Durant, Claxton
Suns: Gobert, Divincenzo, Pick 17 OR a young player
Nets: Randle, Conley, Pick 31
Final Thoughts
It is not often that a team so close to the pinnacle has a chance to make a landscape-altering move, yet alone two in one calendar year; and yet this is exactly where the Wolves sit. This makes them a team to watch as we creep closer to the offseason. What Minnesota chooses to do, and not do, will greatly impact the rest of the league, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out.