The Minnesota Timberwolves were eliminated from the 2026 NBA Playoffs after falling to a 4-2 series defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round. The Timberwolves’ streak of consecutive Conference Finals appearances has come to an end after a postseason where they pulled off an upset series win over the Denver Nuggets in the first round. While injuries played a huge role, the Timberwolves didn’t look like genuine title contenders all season.
The Wolves are expected to make changes to their core roster this offseason after another failed run to the NBA Finals. Anthony Edwards doesn’t look to be pushing for the front office to make changes, but their astute President Tim Connelly will likely look at the trade market to see how the team can add a genuine co-star next to Edwards after Julius Randle’s rough Playoff run.
Randle went from averaging 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the regular season to 12.8 points on 34.2% shooting in their second-round loss to the Spurs. The Timberwolves have a strong rotational cast of players, so upgrading Edwards’ co-star might be the team’s priority this offseason. Let’s take a look at four players the Timberwolves could target in that role this offseason.
Lauri Markkanen
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz Receive: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, 2028 First-Round Pick (MIN), 2032 Second-Round Pick (MIN), 2033 Second-Round Pick (MIN)
The Utah Jazz are heading into an offseason where their dream target is 2026 NBA Draft Prospect AJ Dybantsa. While they might have to trade up to the No. 1 pick to make that happen, Dybantsa’s selection makes it hard to justify Lauri Markkanen ($46,113,154) on the roster. The Jazz already have Jaren Jackson Jr. to play power forward, so they might look to trade Markkanen and get the assets they need to make a trade up the draft order for Dybantsa.
Randle ($33,333,334) could be moved on to a third team or be a veteran frontcourt option behind Jackson Jr. or in a small-ball five-man unit with Jackson at center and Walker Kessler on the bench. The team could find a way to move him elsewhere, or keep him in hopes of a playoff push, as Randle will at least guarantee high-effort while making 82 appearances in a season.
Donte DiVincenzo ($12,535,000) will have to be traded as an expiring contract salary-filler in a year where he can’t play for the Timberwolves due to Achilles recovery. It’ll be a hard decision, but if the Timberwolves have a win-now window, they can’t shy away from trading DiVincenzo.
Markkanen will be the perfect No. 2 option on offense next to Edwards. He averaged 26.7 points and 6.9 rebounds last season despite his production being limited by the Jazz’s tanking practices. He’d add size to their frontcourt alongside Rudy Gobert and is a better all-around scorer than Randle, who could fit into whatever offensive role coach Chris Finch might need him to. His high-effort rebounding is a bonus and allows the Timberwolves to continue their productive style of play, but with a clear scoring upgrade.
Anthony Davis
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Anthony Davis
Washington Wizards Receive: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr., 2028 First-Round Pick (MIN), 2032 Second-Round Pick (MIN), 2033 Second-Round Pick (MIN)
Anthony Davis ($58,456,566) hasn’t played a single game for the Washington Wizards, but the 32-year-old big man is still rumored to find a new team before the end of the summer. The Wizards acquired Davis for expiring contracts and low-value first-round picks, so they could easily choose to get upgraded assets instead of actually playing Davis in the frontcourt alongside Alex Sarr.
Davis averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks in an injury-riddled season with the Dallas Mavericks last season, but his presence on the court showed that he still is one of the most impactful defenders in the NBA. He’s also a consistent 20-point scorer, something the Timberwolves need. He and Gobert would create one of the best frontcourt defenses in the NBA, the kind that teams in the West might need to contain Victor Wembanyama in the future. This also allows Edwards to remain a bona fide No. 1 option, as Davis’ offense likely won’t supplant what Edwards himself can do.
The Wizards receive the same players mentioned in the previous package, with the addition of Terrence Shannon Jr. ($2,801,640), who averaged 5.6 points last season. He still has some future upside that the Wizards might be able to extract. Randle would be a better stylistic fit in the Wizards frontcourt next to Alex Sarr, so this move could allow the Wizards to get better future assets and a former All-Star with strong trade value because he rarely misses games and is a major regular-season contributor.
Kawhi Leonard
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Kawhi Leonard
LA Clippers Receive: Julius Randle, Naz Reid, No. 28 Pick (2026 NBA Draft), 2028 First-Round Pick (MIN), 2032 Second-Round Pick (MIN), 2033 Second-Round Pick (MIN)
The future of Kawhi Leonard ($50,300,000) with the LA Clippers seems uncertain, with Leonard expected to draw trade interest from rivals looking for a major upgrade. The Timberwolves fall into that category and could offer a major haul to the Clippers to snag Leonard while helping them remain competitive in the Western Conference. He averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last season in the best scoring year of his career.
Leonard would be the perfect addition next to Edwards and Jaden McDaniels to form a devastatingly capable wing trio. Edwards is the offensive beacon while McDaniels is the defensive anchor, with Leonard being the perfect addition to bridge their talents as arguably the best two-way forward in the NBA. Edwards is a capable defender, while McDaniels can step up offensively, so this trio with Gobert covering them in the paint might be too much to stop.
The Clippers not only get Randle, but they also get Naz Reid ($23,275,862) in this trade. The Clippers have a hole at their starting center that Reid could fill with the first starting opportunity of his career. While Tyronn Lue will need to craft an elite defensive game plan to make a Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, Randle, and Reid core be successful, it gives the Clippers the ability to stay competitive while giving them two additional first-round picks for the expiring Leonard.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Joan Beringer, No. 28 Pick (2026 NBA Draft), 2028 First-Round Pick (MIN), 2032 First-Round Pick (MIN), 2032 Second-Round Pick (MIN), 2033 Second-Round Pick (MIN)
The Timberwolves’ dream target this offseason has to be Giannis Antetokounmpo ($58,456,566). The franchise has been interested in Antetokounmpo for a while and would have to empty their assets to the Milwaukee Bucks to make this trade happen.
Not only do the Bucks get Randle and Reid, but they also get highly coveted center prospect Joan Beringer ($4,411,200), who averaged 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks as a rookie last season. They also receive the 28th pick in this year’s draft alongside the two tradeable first-round picks (2028 and 2032) the Timberwolves have, as well as two second-round picks to make the deal happen. The Timberwolves literally can’t offer them anything better unless they have a specific trade for Randle or Reid that can help bolster the assets they can offer Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo.
If Antetokounmpo joins Minnesota, there’s a chance Edwards becomes the co-star instead of the clear No. 1 option. But that’d be worth it given Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists last season while struggling with injuries and having one of the worst seasons of his career over the last six years. Antetokounmpo can solve Minnesota’s playmaking issues while being arguably the best two-way player in the entire NBA.
He and Gobert would be a terrifying defensive partnership, especially with McDaniels also on the roster. Antetokounmpo’s downhill pressure will be heightened by the presence of shooters like Edwards, McDaniels, and Ayo Dosunmu on the roster. This is the biggest swing the Timberwolves could make, although it might be hard given the degree of interest Giannis is expected to attract as the premier trade target for most teams this offseason.
