Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves will return from the 2026 NBA All-Star break Friday with a superstar fresh off winning his first ASG MVP Award and sights set on the organization’s first run to the NBA Finals.
But in order his championship vision come to fruition, the Wolves will need Anthony Edwards to continue his ascension by blossoming into some combination of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan over the next few months, so he can carry his team to the promised land.
If Ant can’t go full Superman, then Minnesota’s president of basketball operations Tim Connelly will have some major decisions to make during the offseason. Or… maybe the Timberwolves just change conferences?
Minnesota Timberwolves expecting a move to Eastern Conference?
Sometime in the next few years, the NBA is expected to expand out West, into Las Vegas and back to Seattle. If that plan comes to fruition, the 30-team league (15 West, 15 East) will have an imbalance that needs to be addressed between conferences.
More specifically, two teams currently in the Western Conference are expected to move to the Eastern Conference… and the Wolves are one of just a few legitimate options for conference realignment — with the other two being Memphis and New Orleans.
But according to NBA insider Evan Sidery, formerly of Forbes, league executives overwhelmingly expect Minnesota to be the team that the NBA moves East first.
The overwhelming thought among most league executives, as it relates to future expansion, is moving the Timberwolves to the Eastern Conference.
Minnesota’s geographical location, plus a star like Anthony Edwards helping balance conferences, seems to be the most logical strategy. pic.twitter.com/WAtSAKTRmG
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 17, 2026
A move like this could change the future of the Minnesota Timberwolves, as we know it, in far bigger ways than seeing them in a different standings table every year.
Timberwolves fans should pray for conference realignment
In the Wolves’ way of the NBA Finals out West is a gauntlet of unbelievably talented teams that aren’t going anywhere — including the Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and last year’s NBA champions — the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Western is so strong that, despite back-to-back WC Finals appearances — DraftKings currently has the Timberwolves +1900 to play in that series for a third-straight playoffs and +3500 to win the Larry O’Brien for the first time.
OKC is a heavy -120 favorite to represent the West again this year, with Denver behind them at +300. And Vegas is betting HEAVILY on both teams to win it all too. The Thunder currently sit with +135 odds to repeat as champions, while the Nuggets come in behind them at +450.
NBA Finals Winner (DraftKings)
(W) Thunder | +135
(W) Nuggets | +450
(E) Cavaliers | +1200
(E) Knicks | +1300
(W) Spurs | +1400
(E) Pistons | +1500
(E) Celtics | +1500
(W) Rockets | +2200
(W) Lakers | +3500
(W) Wolves | +3500
(E) 76ers | +4000
(W) Warriors | +12000
(E) Magic | +12000
(E) Hornets | +20000
Related: ESPN Insider Already Out on MN Timberwolves?
But if you ask the sportsbooks, they are all fighting for second place. When you look a step further, at NBA Finals odds, Cleveland is the highest Eastern Conference team on the board, at +1200. New York is right behind them at +1300.
Yet those teams all have better odds than the MN Timberwolves. Is that because they are better? No, it’s because they have an easier path to playing in a seven-game series that ultimately decides a title winner.
In fact, I’d argue that — if Minnesota was in the Eastern Conference this season, they’d be THE favorite to make it out, which would put their odds to win a title much closer to +1000 instead of +3500.
Can Minnesota Timberwolves really be that lucky?
How believable is Sidery’s report? Many have been wondering, given he is now “powered by Kalshi“. So far, he is the only one to make such a bold statement regarding the NBA’s future conference realignment plans.
But we know for sure that the Wolves have been trying to move East for decades. More importantly, Minnesota moving to the East makes most sense geographically, given Minneapolis’ close proximity to other Eastern Conference teams vs those out West.
In terms of how this relates to the Timberwolves, Minnesota has a great shot at moving to the East.
Yes, Memphis and New Orleans are further east geographically, but Minnesota is on an island when it comes to nearby Western Conference teams, but has multiple nearby east teams… https://t.co/FtD05bNiEg pic.twitter.com/47rLK0Ppy1
— Tim Garrison (@TimGarrisonMN) February 9, 2026
It almost feels weird being so optimistic about something that could help a Minnesota team reach the championship game as much as this, but if the NBA is as dead set on expansion as what’s been reported, and the Wolves make the most sense to shift East… the move almost seems (dare I say) inevitable?
Mentioned in this article: NBA Conference Realignment
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