Timberwolves' Josh Minott Forces His Release: Report

Timberwolves’ Josh Minott Forces His Release: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Outside of big-money extensions for Naz Reid and Julius Randle, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ offseason has largely been a reboot of the bottom of the roster.

The Wolves drafted centers Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky last week in anticipation of their plans to opt out of Luka Garza and Josh Minott’s team options.

However, those plans may not have been entirely on their own accord.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Josh Minott (8)© Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

A day after the Wolves let Garza and Minott go, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski reported that younger players on the Timberwolves bench have grown “restless” with no path to playing time.

“Younger players such as Josh Minott were getting restless sitting at the end of the bench with no clear path to a spot in the rotation. At the end of the season, team sources said, Minott asked for the Wolves to decline his option so he could seek a role on a team with the chance to play more,” Krawczynski wrote on July 1. “Knowing that would have been difficult to accomplish in Minnesota with [Terrence] Shannon, [Jaylen] Clark and [Rob] Dillingham all ahead of Minott in the pecking order, the Wolves obliged Minott by declining to pick up his team option.”

Krawczynski added that the Timberwolves could have played hardball to keep Garza in an “uncertain” role but did not want to be in his way of playing time any longer.

Both Garza and Minott will move on to new teams after several years incubating in the Wolves’ player development program for several seasons.

Garza garnered plenty of interest from the Boston Celtics over the years and signed a two-year, fully guaranteed deal with Boston on Monday, July 31. He appears to have a clear route to playing time after the Celtics lost Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet.

He’s an example of the treasure trove of talent that the Wolves’ player development program has produced but has not had the opportunity to see the floor.

This was largely a byproduct of the Wolves’ slow start to last season that saw them enter playoff mode by February, where every game counted in a tight Western Conference.

However, coach Chris Finch has also come under fire for not playing his younger players last season.

Next season, the Wolves will have to rely more on their developmental talent, given the age and wear on veterans like Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley and the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

This dynamic also explains the decision to re-sign Joe Ingles, who would be comfortable with limited playing time at 37 years old and is valued for his leadership and niche usage on inbound plays.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.

Timberwolves’ Josh Minott Forces His Release: Report

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