The Timberwolves felt like they were ready to pursue a championship this season until they ran into Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in the West’s second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs and got eliminated in six games.
Following the 109-139 Game 6 loss, Anthony Edwards was asked if he feels the Timberwolves are still in a solid position to compete with the Spurs and the Thunder in the future, or whether he needs a star player alongside him.
“Yeah, I feel like we’re good,” said Edwards, indicating that if they were fully healthy, they would be in a better position to compete. But the Timberwolves’ front office’s actions have implied otherwise.
According to the latest report from The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, the Timberwolves’ front office has indicated that they are still in pursuit of another superstar player to join Edwards and are still expected to be in pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo after nearly landing Kevin Durant last summer. Krawczynski dove into the depths of understanding what to expect from the front office this summer.
“[Tim] Connelly has been one of the most aggressive deal-makers in the league since he came to Minnesota four years ago. He has made blockbuster trades for Gobert and Randle/DiVincenzo. He has also made smaller, but very impactful, trades for Mike Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Dosunmu.”
“But the deals he hasn’t been able to pull off should serve as the biggest indicator that change is coming. Two years ago, Connelly was feverishly trying to line up a series of moves to make it possible for the Wolves to land Kevin Durant from Phoenix.”
“Team and league sources told The Athletic that there was a point in the hours before the trade deadline in 2025 that the Wolves believed they were in position to execute, but the Suns ultimately decided not to pull the trigger.”
“This season, Connelly was working on another groundbreaking maneuver. With speculation swirling about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee, the Timberwolves were one of several teams trying to trade for the Bucks star.”
“Their efforts were well known throughout the league and in their own locker room. It did seem to hurt the existing roster around the trade deadline. Randle, in particular, went through a rough stretch of performances that coaches and teammates believed were directly connected to his name being bandied about in trade rumors.”
“This summer will likely be filled with more of them. The Bucks are expected to entertain offers for Antetokounmpo with a seriousness that they did not have in February. Connelly will likely try to re-engage on that front while also looking at other options around the league,” he concluded.
Kevin Durant reportedly vetoed the trade to the Timberwolves from the Suns after Minnesota was nearly ready to execute and make it happen.
So the Timberwolves are expected to be one of the primary suitors in the race to potentially sign Giannis Antetokounmpo in the summer, and Julius Randle finds his name among the rumors once again after he failed to perform in the clutch.
He ended Game 6, where the Timberwolves’ season was on the line, with three points, seven rebounds, and one assist while going 1-8 from the field (12.5 FG%).
With his playoff and all-star experience, Randle was expected to be the consistent veteran second option beside a budding young leader in Anthony Edwards. But in the two seasons that Randle has played in Minnesota, his postseason performance has been nothing near the expectations.
He ended this series against the Spurs, averaging 12.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 34.2% from the field and 19.0% from beyond the arc.
So yes, the Timberwolves do need another solid star player alongside Anthony Edwards, and if I were in Tim Connelly’s place, I would look to trade away Randle to fulfill their frontcourt woes with a potential addition like Giannis Antetokounmpo or consider other options like Lauri Markkanen.
