The Minnesota Timberwolves have one standard roster spot (for the minimum) left after an offseason that dramatically reshaped the team. Kevin Love could be an ideal fit for it.
And a reunion could be an option. The Wolves could choose to keep the 15th spot open for flexibility or pursue a different veteran. Yet Love offers a combination Minnesota cannot easily find at this stage of free agency: frontcourt depth, outside shooting, playoff experience, locker-room credibility and a connection to the franchise that would instantly resonate with fans.
Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic recently said on his podcast that Love is open to returning to Minnesota and that the Wolves have interest, although he also cautioned that a deal remains unlikely.
3Mar 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (42) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
The basketball case starts with Minnesota’s current depth chart.
Jonathan Kuminga gives the Wolves their new starting power forward, bringing athleticism and transition scoring to a lineup that also features LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. McDaniels can slide to the 4 in smaller groups, but he will likely continue to spend much of his time defending the opposition’s best perimeter scorer.
Trey Lyles is Minnesota’s most established reserve forward. He gives Chris Finch a veteran option at either frontcourt spot, but he alone cannot cover every matchup or injury concern across an 82-game season. Cody Williams offers intriguing size at 6-foot-8 and remains worth developing, but the former No. 10 overall pick is still only 21 and has not established himself as a reliable NBA player.
The rest of the frontcourt leans young. Joan Beringer has long-term promise at 6-foot-11, while Rudy Gobert handles the bulk of the center minutes. A veteran who can play alongside Gobert, fill in during a short stretch of games and keep the offense spaced would give the Wolves another usable layer.
That is where Love fits.
3Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Love will turn 38 this month, so Minnesota would not be signing him to reclaim the All-Star who dominated the boards and carried the offense during his first stint with the franchise. The Wolves would need him to embrace a limited role: spot minutes, occasional starts in favorable matchups, injury insurance and steady leadership.
He still provides useful skills in that role.
Love appeared in 37 games for the Utah Jazz last season and averaged 6.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 16.6 minutes per game. He shot 37.3% from 3-point range. Minnesota’s offense would benefit from that shooting at the 4 after losing Naz Reid in the offseason, especially when Gobert occupies the paint and the Wolves need to keep the floor open for Edwards and Ball.
The rebounding matters, too. Love no longer has the mobility to anchor a defense or play heavy minutes against elite athletes, but he has always understood positioning and knows how to finish possessions. A few timely defensive rebounds and a pair of made 3-pointers can be valuable contributions from a contender’s substitute.
His career path also makes him well-suited for a supporting role.
After Minnesota traded Love to Cleveland in 2014, he spent eight-plus seasons with the Cavaliers, sacrificed statistics to play alongside LeBron James and won an NBA championship in 2016. Cleveland waived him in 2023, and he continued his career with the Miami Heat before landing in Utah last season.
That experience would carry weight in a revamped Wolves locker room that has lost several influential veterans. Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson and Joe Ingles all departed during Minnesota’s offseason overhaul. Love could help fill some of that void, offering a voice that understands long seasons, postseason pressure and the balance required on a roster built around younger stars.
3The emotional appeal is obvious as well.
Love spent six seasons in Minnesota and remains one of the most accomplished players in franchise history. He averaged 19.2 points and 12.2 rebounds across 364 games with the Wolves, earning three All-Star selections and two All-NBA Second Team honors. His Timberwolves résumé reflects how extraordinary he was during an otherwise difficult era for the organization.
A return would not rewrite that history. It would give Love and the franchise an opportunity to add a different final chapter. Fellow power forward legend Kevin Garnett once also returned for a final moment.
Love would fill a limited but valuable role in Minnesota: spot minutes, frontcourt insurance, floor spacing, rebounding and veteran leadership for a team chasing a championship. For a minimum contract and a final roster spot, that is a sensible bet–and a reunion Wolves fans would be eager to embrace.