After making the Western Conference Finals for the last two postseasons, the Minnesota Timberwolves were sent home by the San Antonio Spurs with Friday night’s Game 6 loss.
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In a stacked Western Conference that only appears to be getting better at the top, they now face a number of difficult questions over the offseason.
After another year falling short of the NBA Finals, the Timberwolves may look to “blow it up” and make a major trade for a star. With contract details coming into play, this won’t be easy for Minnesota.
Julius Randle‘s currently making over $33 million a year and his lackluster play in this postseason won’t help his trade value.
He can certainly play a legitimate role on a title contender, but teams will be hesitant to take on his contract after his performance dipped in the playoffs.
Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert are two other major players that would likely need to be included in a trade for a top-tier star like Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But Reid and Gobert combine for over $60 million in annual salary. None of these numbers work in Minnesota’s favor, so an offseason trade for a true superstar will be very difficult.
Teams may also ask for Jaden McDaniels in a potential trade, someone who would be very difficult for the Timberwolves to give up.
Beyond the outlook for an offseason trade lies free agency, where the Timberwolves should have an obvious priority in bringing back Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu was acquired at the trade deadline and immediately made an impact for the Timberwolves. He stepped up in a big way in the postseason after Donte DiVincenzo went down with a torn Achilles.
With DiVincenzo expected to be out for virtually all of next season, now would be the perfect time to bring Dosunmu back in an elevated role.
When it comes to coaching, head coach Chris Finch led the Timberwolves to two straight WCF appearances while also helping them take down Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the first round of this postseason.
There’s still a chance Minnesota decides to move on, but Finch’s job in Minnesota seems secure at the moment.
Ultimately, this could be a confusing offseason for a team that’s too good to dismantle, but doesn’t seem good enough to truly contend for a championship.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
