You could say that the Timberwolves exceeded their own expectations at the start of the 2024-25 season, as their playoff run ended in a hard-fought Western Conference Finals series against OKC. They have plenty of reasons to trust their roster for the upcoming campaign.
However, Minnesota had the same assessment as they did last year, before going through with two big trades that sent Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle to New York. So, despite a positive season, the truth is that anything can happen this summer.
“We feel very happy with the core we have. We don’t feel like there’s tremendous pressure to do much,” said Tim Connelly, who serves as president of basketball operations. “But until you’re raising the trophy, you’ve got to be as active and as creative as possible to get to the point where you’re the final team.”
The executive then added: “Those organizations that can show patience tend to have a really high level of success. But patience shouldn’t lead to risk aversion. If there’s something that if we have to shake it up and make us a better team, we’re certainly open to that.”
Probably the most pressing matters for the Wolves’ front office during these coming months will be the negotiations with player agents. The most urgent should be Naz Reid and Randle, two power forward with different styles that face the same decision this offseason, either to exercise a contract option of decline it.
“I would tell you I was optimistic even if I was lying to you, but we’re pretty optimistic. Those guys are really really good players who play really really well together,” Connelly shared. “We have nothing but positive indicators both of these guys will be in Wolves jerseys next season.”
Another vital part of their eight-player rotations is also set to become an unrestricted free agent, as Nickeil Alexander-Walker must make his own decisions. This means that bringing him back, as well as Randle and Reid without passing the second apron might seem the impossible task.
