The NBA is a league built on eras, and the Minnesota Timberwolves must adjust accordingly.
Bill Russell‘s Boston Celtics of the ’50s and ’60’s. Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls in the ’90s. The baggy draft day suit era of the late ’90s and early 2000s.
We’re currently in the international era that has seen the MVP awarded to a non-American player every year since James Harden won in 2018. And the NBA is on the cusp of entering a new era this postseason. Centers were enjoying a resurgence in the 2020s. Long gone were the days when we genuinely had to argue if Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, or DeAndre Jordan was the best center in the league, and Andre Drummond was making an All-NBA team. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, and now Victor Wembanyama have wrestled back control of the league. But there’s already a new era forming in their shadow.
The age of centers is coming to an end. The age of the big ole guards has come.
Okay, so centers aren’t exactly expired in the league just yet. Victor Wembanyama is doing things we’ve never seen and could dominate the NBA for the next 20 years. But all three teams still in contention for the Larry O’Brien Trophy have one thing in common, and it’s an abundance of big guards who can wear their opponents down on both ends of the floor.
Take the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Their leader, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is a 6’6” point guard with a nearly seven-foot wingspan. Jalen Williams is 6’5” and weighs more than Chet Holmgren. Lu Dort is built like a Cadillac. Alex Caruso is the most surprising 6’5” in the NBA. And Mark Daigneault’s rotation includes only two guards under 6’4”, Jared McCain and Cason Wallace, who are both listed at 6’3”.
Meanwhile, alongside Wemby, the San Antonio Spurs have Stephon Castle, who is 6’6”, 215 lbs., and rookie Dylan Harper, who is 6’5”, 215 lbs., and has a 6’11” wingspan. They make their 6’3” counterpart De’Aaron Fox look tiny by comparison.
The New York Knicks are the closest to being an outlier, as their best player is 6’2” Jalen Brunson. But Brunson is surrounded by size. Josh Hart is 6’5”, even though he lets Brunson bully him in press conferences. Mikal Bridges is 6’6” with the longest arms you’ve ever seen. And OG Anunoby is 6’7”, 240 lbs., and has a 7’2” wingspan.
Size, strength, speed mixed with shooting from your back court is a recipe to get you to the brink of the NBA Finals in 2026, and if the Wolves want to compete in the modern NBA, they should follow a similar model.
The Minnesota Timberwolves don’t lack for size. Tim Connelly and Co. invested heavily in a hefty frontcourt. Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid have all signed new deals in the past 20 months. They used both of their picks last year on bigs. Minnesota selected 6’11” Joan Beringer at 17 and 7’3” Rocco Zikarsky with the 45th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They’ve bolstered the front court; now the priority should be super-sizing the back court.
Minnesota’s guards are by no means small. Anthony Edwards is 6’4”, 225 lbs. Donte DiVincenzo is still 6’4” even with a torn Achilles. Ayo Dosunmu is 6’4”. Jaylen Clark is 6’5”. Terrence Shannon Jr. is 6’6”. And if you want to count him among the Wolves ballhandlers, Jaden McDaniels is 6’9”.
Their two smallest guards are Mike Conley, who’s 6’1” on the best day of his life, and 6’2” Bones Hyland. They are free agents, and Hyland likely won’t be back in Minnesota next season. The experiment to make Rob Dillingham the heir apparent point guard was a disaster. Connelly must re-sign Dosunmu, who has enough size and speed to contend with Harper, Castle, SGA, and JDub while also knocking down shots as a career 38 percent three-point shooter.
Minnesota should look to add backcourt size in the 2026 NBA Draft and offseason trade market. The top of the 2026 draft is light on big guards outside of 6’4” Darryn Peterson. Darius Acuff is 6’2”. Kingston Flemings is only a half inch taller. Mikel Brown is 6’3”. But the Wolves could snatch a big guard or wing at the end of the first round with the 28th pick. Guys like 6’6” Dailyn Swain out of Texas, 6’5” Isaiah Evans from Duke, or 6’3” Meleek Thomas from Arkansas could be available for the Wolves to add depth and length to the back court.
That should absolutely apply to any potential trade targets the Timberwolves are planning to pursue this offseason. The list of targets should be the same as an Alabama sorority sister looking for a husband. No, thank you, 6’2”, 174-pound Ja Morant. I’m sure you’ll make someone else very happy, 6’2” Kyrie Irving. Would you like to get dinner, 6’6” with a 7’3” wingspan, Kawhi Leonard? Your place or mine, 6’8” Trey Murphy III. Anytime, anywhere, Greek Freak.
It’s a pivotal offseason for the Timberwolves, and the mandate should be clear by watching the conference finals. Add size, speed, and strength to the roster, especially in the backcourt. Still, size matters in the NBA, and the Timberwolves need every extra inch they can get.
