Last Updated:June 04, 2025, 16:53 IST
Timberwolves’ Tim Connelly, known for bold moves, traded key players to reach the Western Conference finals. With the NBA draft and free agency ahead, what’s next?
Timberwolves’ Julius Randle and Naz Reid (X)
Minnesota Timberwolves’ Tim Connelly is known for making bold moves rather than staying put.
In February 2023, Connelly, the president of basketball operations, traded D’Angelo Russell for Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, two crucial members of the Timberwolves’ eight-man rotation that just reached the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive year.
Last October, Connelly traded four-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, both of whom became integral parts of that rotation.
With the NBA draft and free agency on the horizon, what might Connelly do next to lead the Timberwolves to their first NBA title?
“You’re always just guessing,” Connelly said. “Until you win it all, you have to be very self-critical and look for areas where you can improve.”
The Wolves have plenty of reasons to run back the same roster after reaching the Western Conference finals for the second straight time.
But that was their initial assessment last year, too, before the big trade went down right before the beginning of training camp. Not many moves can be ruled out, particularly in this era of the NBA that never seems far from the next surprising swap involving star players.
There also exists a need for the Timberwolves to navigate some financial challenges.
Minnesota led the NBA in total cap allocations for 2024-25 at $237,156,897.
The Timberwolves might operate above the cap again, but forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid have the option to either accept a contract for next season or become free agents. Meanwhile, Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted free agent.
So, bringing back Alexander-Walker as well as Randle and Reid without again passing the second apron might be impossible.
“The goal is to keep everybody,” Connelly said.
“We feel very happy with the core we have. We don’t feel like there’s tremendous pressure to do much. But until you’re raising the trophy, you’ve got to be as active and as creative as possible to get to the point where you’re the final team.”
If any or all three players leave, the Timberwolves have the No. 17 and No. 31 picks in the NBA draft.
They also have three promising young players who just completed their first season: wing Terrence Shannon Jr., guard Rob Dillingham, and forward Jaylen Clark, who could see more playing time next year.
“We have several key players who are starting to get older, so we need to have younger players ready to step in. There are some positions that could become more of a need given our current roster setup.”
(with agency inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!First Published:News sports To Retain Or To Rebuild? Minnesota Timberwolves’ Dilemma Ahead Of Free Agency, NBA Draft