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Despite another painful campaign, there is hope for the Minnesota Timberwolves to come back stronger next year. The T-Wolves have one of the most promising stars of the future in Anthony Edwards and a center who averages over 20 points a game in Karl-Anthony Towns.
Coming into the 2020-21 campaign, there were high hopes for the Minnesota Timberwolves after they acquired D'Angelo Russell at the trade deadline in 2020. However, as was the case the previous season, the two former All-Stars struggled to stay fit and by the time the franchise had a record of 12-38, they had played just four games together.
Nevertheless, if they can both stay fit next year, along with superstar-to-be Edwards, the Timberwolves will be quietly confident once again.
Three areas the Minnesota Timberwolves need to address this summer
As exciting as their 2021-22 campaign could be, the Minnesota Timberwolves have several issues that urgently need addressing if they are to compete in a stacked Western Conference. In this article, we will outline three such issues that we believe can help them do so.
#1 Get creative in signing a power forward
If the Minnesota Timberwolves keep their core big three together and healthy, they could be a force to be reckoned with next season. However, they are left with a conundrum at the power forward position. Although Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt both showed glimpses of star quality, it was few and far between and T-Wolves President Gersson Rosas should instead seek a shoe-in starter.
However, the Timberwolves don't have much cap space flexibility going forward. They do have two big salaries they could look to lose in a trade deal, though, expiring contracts and future draft picks.
Veteran point guard Ricky Rubio is on an expiring $17m contract while Malik Beasley is still guaranteed $30m in the next two years of his. The latter plays in the same position as young star Anthony Edwards, who will no doubt be the team's starting shooting guard going forward. So it makes sense to try and offload Beasley in their pursuit of support in the frontcourt.
A potential option at a suitable price range would be Houston Rockets big man Kelly Olynyk, who would provide consistent scoring as a stretch-four and experience for McDaniels.
#2 Fix defensive issues
One of the biggest issues the Minnesota Timberwolves need to address in the offseason is their defensive fragility. Despite having several dominant assets on offense, the T-Wolves had the third-worst defensive rating in the NBA. They ranked among the bottom-three sides for points and assists allowed, opposition field-goal percentage and opposition three-point percentage.
Considering their lack of cap space, the Timberwolves may have to scour the free agency market to acquire savvy veteran defenders on cheaper salaries or trade out one of the bigger contracts.
Alternatively, though, they should seek to improve their defensive structure throughout the offseason. Edwards, Towns, and Russell can score 60+ points a night between them if they stay fit. So the emphasis in training over the summer should be on creating a ruggedness on the other side of the ball.
#3 Amend center options behind Towns
Although Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most dominant big men in the league, he has played just 85 games in the last two seasons. Should his injury plight continue, the Minnesota Timberwolves need to make sure they put themselves in a position to suitably replace his minutes.
First, that means guaranteeing Naz Reid's contract. The second-year, undrafted center has proven to be a steal for the T-Wolves, with the franchise only having to pay him $1.78m next year.
He has proven to be an efficient replacement for Towns, making 70 appearances for Minnesota in the campaign, with 55 of those coming from the bench, averaging 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds. More impressively, he shot at a consistent 52% from the field and grabbed 1.1 blocks per 19 minutes that he played.
Conversely, the Minnesota Timberwolves could part ways with third-string big man Ed Davis. Although they may choose to extend his stay and use him as a backup if both Towns and Reid are utilized in the same lineup, as was the case toward the end of the season, the veteran struggled to make much of an impact in his 23 games. Luckily for the T-Wolves, Davis is on an expiring contract which allows them the easy segway into acquiring another cheap option in their rotation.
