In their first 34 years of history, the Timberwolves won two playoff series. In the last three years, they've won five. The problem is they always fall short: two consecutive Western Conference Finals and, last spring, a semifinal where the Spurs ran them over. Tim Connelly responded as he usually does, with a franchise-altering move: LaMelo Ball is now a Minnesota Timberwolf.
Where They're Coming From: 49 Wins and a Ceiling Called San Antonio
The 2025-26 season was solid without being brilliant. The Wolves finished 49-33, sixth in the West, for the second straight year with the same record. Anthony Edwards posted the best scoring season of his career, averaging 28.8 points in 61 games. In the first round, they eliminated Nikola Jokic's Nuggets in six games.
The Spurs awaited in the semifinals. Minnesota won the first game in San Antonio (102-104), and from there it fell apart. They suffered the worst playoff loss in franchise history in Game 2 (133-95), and three of the four losses in the series came by 29 points or more. Edwards played through a knee injury and Donte DiVincenzo missed the series with an Achilles tendon tear. The final 2-4 score made clear how far the team still has to go to be a true contender.
The Offseason: LaMelo, at Any Cost
The summer's big move came in June. Minnesota acquired 25-year-old LaMelo Ball, drafted in the same class as Edwards, in a multi-team trade. In return, they sent Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps, and three second-round picks to Charlotte. Julius Randle went to Brooklyn in the same deal. Ball comes off averaging 20.1 points and 7.1 assists and leading the Hornets from 19 to 44 wins.
They still needed to fill the power forward spot. Connelly even dreamed of LeBron James, who chose Philadelphia, and the solution ended up being Jonathan Kuminga. After 94 calls from general manager Matt Lloyd, and with Edwards as the primary recruiter, the Congolese forward chose Minnesota on a short deal: two years and $13 million with a player option. He turned down a longer offer from the Lakers.
For the interior rotation, Trey Lyles arrived on a veteran's minimum after his year at Real Madrid. He was the leading scorer for the Spanish club in the EuroLeague, averaging 13.5 points in 42 games, and reached the Athens final. Ayo Dosunmu re-signed for five years and $112 million. Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, Joe Ingles, and Julian Phillips are out.
The Rotation
The starting five is set: Ball, Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kuminga, and Rudy Gobert. The big change is ball distribution. NBA.com provides a revealing stat: Edwards made 49.6% of his three-pointers off the catch, the best percentage in the entire league, compared to 35.3% when shooting off the dribble. Still, only 27% of his three-pointers came without a dribble. Ball arrives precisely for that—to get the ball out of Edwards' hands and give him easier shots.
Off the bench, head coach Chris Finch will have Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, Cody Williams, and Lyles as a stretch interior. DiVincenzo remains out with the Achilles injury.
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The Season's Big Questions
The first is the fit between Ball and Edwards. Both need the ball, and Ball has a reputation for taking risky decisions. If the distribution works, Minnesota will have one of the most dangerous perimeter duos in the league, and Edwards could compete for his first scoring title. If not, the team will have mortgaged much of its future for a problem.
The second is Ball's health. In his three seasons before last year, he played only 105 games total. Last season he stayed healthy, but the question remains.
The third is Kuminga. He arrives to defend and rebound at the four, but at the same time he's playing for his next contract and will want to showcase his offense. How he resolves that tension will define his year.
Finally, the price paid: Minnesota has committed draft picks through 2033 and doesn't have much else to offer on the market. This project has to work now.
The Schedule: Dates to Circle
The opener is one to mark in red: October 21 in Miami against Giannis Antetokounmpo's Heat, with debuts for the two big summer acquisitions. On October 31, they visit the Spurs, and on December 27, Kuminga returns to the Warriors' court. On December 31, they host the Nuggets, and on January 29 comes Naz Reid Night: the Hornets visit Minneapolis with the center back and Ball facing him.
Piratas' Prediction
Minnesota has the most athletic starting five of the Edwards era and a perimeter duo with contender potential. At the same time, it's the team that has taken the most risk in the West, with much of its future mortgaged and questions about the fit. Our prediction: between 50 and 54 wins, a top-four seed in the West, and a Conference Finals appearance as a realistic goal. To reach June, they'll have to get past San Antonio or Oklahoma City, and the team hasn't yet proven it's at that level.