With 6:34 remaining in Game 5, it became evident that this might be the last time we see the Minnesota Timberwolves’ core together. With the Oklahoma City Thunder leading 106-72, Chris Finch sent Rob Dillingham, Jaylen Clark, Josh Minott, and Luka Garza in off the bench. The sand in Minnesota’s hourglass had run out, and rotation players from this year’s team may disperse this offseason.
Julius Randle had a $31 million player option. Naz Reid will likely decline his $15 million option, and the Brooklyn Nets have cap space. Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be a free agent.
“It’s our intention,” Chris Finch said a day after Oklahoma City eliminated the Wolves in five games, “to keep everyone here.”
Still, we all know what happens to the best-laid plans. Tim Connelly went all-in for Rudy Gobert when the salary cap allowed teams to create a “Big 3.” Then, the league created the “second apron” following the most recent collective bargaining agreement. In response, the Wolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns to avoid falling into a Phoenix Suns situation.
Ironically, the Wolves may have displayed their future in their season’s waning minutes.
- They eventually need to replace Mike Conley, 37, and Dillingham has flashed upside. However, he’s 6’1”, 176 lbs., and shot 44.1% from the field this season.
- Terrence Shannon Jr. did enough in the playoffs to earn a spot in next year’s rotation. Still, the 24-year-old rookie may be a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect.
- Clark may have been a lottery selection had he not torn his Achilles at UCLA. However, the 53rd pick in the 2023 draft is healthy and played within himself this year. He hounds opponents on defense and shot 43.1% from three.
We don’t know how much the Wolves will rely on youth next year. They could also flip Dillingham in a Kevin Durant trade. However, that would mean giving up on someone they traded up for in last year’s draft for a 36-year-old player.
Minnesota could extend Randle if he declines his player option, or match whatever Brooklyn offers Reid. However, it would mean locking itself into this year’s core long-term. The Wolves would assume that this year’s team, which won 49 games, can compete with the 68-win Thunder next year.
The Thunder are the league’s second-youngest team; they aren’t going anywhere. Meanwhile, Minnesota lost winnable games this year to the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and Portland Trail Blazers. The Milwaukee Bucks beat them without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, and the Wolves collapsed in the second game against Milwaukee.
Minnesota went from a 56-win team to a 49-win unit after trading Towns in October. However, they won 42 games immediately after trading for Gobert and 14 more in Year 2 with the French big man last season. Another year with a similar core may yield better results in 2026.
It’s not hard to imagine this year’s team winning 56 games. They just had to play better against inferior competition. However, there’s a significant gap between a 56-win team and one that won 68.
The Wolves (sorta) sorted things out at the end of the season, and Randle played well against the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. Still, the sportsbooks had Oklahoma City as -375 favorites entering the Western Conference Finals. Even if the Wolves had escaped with a win in Game 4, does anyone believe they would have won twice in OKC after the Thunder routed them in Game 5?
Last year, the Timberwolves petered out in the Western Conference Finals because they battled the Denver Nuggets for seven games and couldn’t contain Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić. However, Minnesota only played ten games before facing the Thunder this year. Oklahoma City won because they are the superior team.
There are no straightforward answers on how to fill that gap. Anthony Edwards, 23, should continue to improve, and McDaniels has become Minnesota’s X-factor. However, hope resides in the young players on the court as time ran out on their season. Shannon and Clark are ready, but Dillingham is an open question.
Dillingham possesses quicksilver movement and liquid handle, but his game lacks polish. If the Wolves can pair Edwards and Dillingham to create a dynamic backcourt like Dallas had, they may contend for years to come. If they go all-in on Durant, they’re mortgaging their future, hoping an aging core can take them to the next level.
Minnesota’s fate likely rests on whether Rob with the shifts can find another gear.
