The Minnesota Timberwolves 2026-27 season ended the same way as their previous two. A closeout game against a more cohesive team in which the Wolves got blown out.
In 2024, the Dallas Mavericks beat them 124-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. A year later, another Game 5 loss, this time 124-94 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Then this season, a 139-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the semifinals.
As in previous years, players spoke at their exit interviews about where the season went wrong and what they thought of it, while also speculating on what their summers could entail. A common thread this season, though, has emerged that wasn’t as prevalent in the past two seasons.
“…If it’s not your night, just be happy for the next person who’s having a good game or whoever’s stepping up that night,” said Jaden McDaniels. “I feel like that’s the first part, and then just really being together. Like, I know we’re all cool, we’re all friends and stuff like that, so it shouldn’t matter who’s having a good game, but I for sure think if we can get rid of that a little bit, we’ll be way better.”
Donte DiVincenzo also echoed McDaniels’ assessment.
“I think it’s simple. You have a locker room that is extremely talented, and you have a locker room that are not bad guys,” he said. “When you have a locker room full of good guys, you can get through those things. But once you have stuff in the locker room, that’s pointing fingers at one another and stuff, and the guys aren’t connecting in the locker room like, you’re not always going to agree on anything.
“It’s 15, 17 players in there. You’re not gonna agree on everything. But when you have good guys, you have hard workers, and you have talent, like you can figure stuff out, and you can tweak things throughout the season. And it just takes that humility to understand that whatever is needed, it needs to be done.”
Naz Reid also had a similar sentiment.
“You look at both of those teams, and they’re playing for one another, they’re excited to be on the floor with one another, they’re a team where they’re selfless,” he said. “I think we have more than enough talent. … But just being less moody. I think that’s just the name of the game for us, just being less moody and more selfless.”
The common through lines in the quotes are the need to play more selflessly, the need for connection, and the need for togetherness. Minnesota’s offseason focus will be on turning the page after another playoff defeat. So, how can the Wolves develop the mindset of playing selflessly so that the 2026-27 season doesn’t end similarly to the past three years?
Realistically, this will require roster changes for the Wolves, with rumors already circulating that they will return to the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. It would appear the Wolves also believe roster changes may be needed to straighten out the chemistry and roster construction issues that have plagued them.
The real question then is how much they need to overhaul the roster?
In a blockbuster trade, it may require moving a significant number of players, which would reset the team culture and allow Chris Finch and Tim Connelly to build it from scratch. The other option would be to make a minor tweak to the roster and build it more around Anthony Edwards, then hope the young core of the team can reshape Minnesota’s habits.
People will discuss a Timberwolves blockbuster trade all offseason, so it might be better to focus on the minor tweak idea since the season just ended. In this scenario, the Wolves prioritize identifying the unknowns on their roster while attempting to get younger and build a foundation more sturdy than last year’s.
Ayo Dosunmu, Edwards, McDaniels, Reid, and Gobert would likely be the starters in this case, because they traded Randle for a younger bench piece to open up minutes and opportunities for the Wolves to evaluate whether Reid is a starting-caliber forward. Randle’s move out also opens up the floor for Dosunmu to play a more playmaking role next to Edwards. It would also allow McDaniels to attempt to be a secondary scorer and, like Dosunmu, open up touches for him to show what he could do as a playmaker.
Edwards moves back to the more natural shooting guard position, and Gobert remains for another season to anchor the defense. The Wolves could also move Gobert in this retooling, because his offensive woes have occasionally bogged down the offense. However, the defense last season fell off considerably when Gobert wasn’t on the court. Until Joan Beringer or Reid can man the paint on defense, it makes sense for Gobert to return.
Terrence Shannon Jr. will return to the bench unit, with more opportunity to be on the ball on offense with Randle’s absence. Bones Hyland said he wants to return, and it would make sense for the Wolves to re-sign him as a free agent.
The same goes for Mike Conley, because the team has continued to need him as a team leader. Restricted free agent Jaylen Clark could also return and see an increase in opportunity, because there will be minutes to go around.
The two other factors in a Randle trade would be the opportunity for Beringer to get considerable post minutes backing up Reid and Gobert, which could hasten his growth toward a Gobert contingency plan. Finally, the return player for Randle will likely be someone who fits better with the young core starters.
Minnesota could get a guard who’s more of a facilitator to play next to Edwards if Dosunmu doesn’t develop. It could also be another wing defender to mitigate the drop-off when McDaniels is in foul trouble, at least until DiVincenzo returns from injury.
A Randle-less roster will still need to develop that connectivity and the habits that have stunted Minnesota’s growth in past years.
However, with a clear pecking order in terms of minutes, play calls, and roles, the Wolves would be able to determine whether Minnesota’s younger players caused the disconnection or are capable of developing the foundation. The pivot would allow the Wolves to gain short-term insight into themselves, preventing another blowout playoff loss and getting sent home.
