The Timberwolves weren't quite able to win it all this season. Still, they got a lot farther than most expected in making it to the Western Conference Finals and knocking out a juggernaut Nuggets team in the process. This is a great team that should have championship aspirations next season.
Can Minnesota make upgrades to improve its odds? A lot will depend on how much ownership is willing to spend. That in turn will hinge on who exactly owns the team. It's a confusing and ugly situation that Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore and Glen Taylor will have to sort out.
Here's what the roster should look like next year and how the team can add talent.
MORE: Explaining NBA's Minnesota ownership battle with Glen Taylor
Timberwolves upcoming free agents
The Wolves have most of their roster locked up long-term. Their starting lineup is signed through at least the next two years. Anthony Edwards won't hit free agency until the summer of 2029.
They do have some decisions to make about their bench players, most importantly on if they should bring back Kyle Anderson. Monte Morris could be a nice backup point guard next season — injuries prevented him from ever taking a foothold in the rotation. The rest of their free agents were not playoff rotation pieces.
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Player option | Team option/non-guaranteed |
| Monte Morris | Luka Garza | None | Josh Minott |
| Kyle Anderson | Daishen Nix | ||
| Jordan McLaughlin | |||
| T.J. Warren |
Timberwolves 2024 NBA Draft picks
The Wolves have two picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. Here's a rundown of their draft capital:
First round
- No. 27 pick
Second round
- No. 37 pick
Our draft expert Kyle Irving has Minnesota selecting guard Carlton Carrington in the first round of his most recent mock, noting that Carrington is "a super-talented shot-creator with pro-level moves in his arsenal, and he gains separation from his defenders."
Irving has the Wolves taking forward Harrison Ingram out of UNC in the second round.
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One burning question: Do the Timberwolves look to move Karl-Anthony Towns?
The Wolves would not have beaten the Nuggets without some big performances from Towns. But he disappeared in key spots against the Mavericks, and he's been frustratingly inconsistent throughout his career. Minnesota also has a terrific backup in Naz Reid right behind him. Could the front office try to rebalance the team and offload Towns?
The Timberwolves need more shooting and shot creation, which should be Towns' specialty. Foul trouble and inconsistent decision-making have prevented him from contributing as much as he should.
Towns is also the only spot to logically upgrade. Minnesota will have no spending power in a weak free agency class. It is projected to be a second apron team, meaning that it will only be able to retain its own players, sign its draft picks and hope to get some veterans on minimum contracts.
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With Towns, Rudy Gobert and Edwards each earning comfortably over $40 million, the financial landscape for this team isn't changing any time soon. This is the roster going forward unless they trade Towns. They're going to be handcuffed in adding talent, and they will have hefty tax bills to pay (Spotrac estimates it at $49 million next season).
Even if the Wolves do try and offload Towns, they will be restricted by second apron rules. They can't combine his salary with anyone else's on the roster, they can't acquire anyone via sign-and-trade and they can't take in more money than they send out, among other restrictions. They could try to trade for another star whose value has hit rock bottom (hello, Zach LaVine), but don't expect any GMs to be throwing their best player in a deal for Towns.
It's going to get even harder to trade Towns next season. That is when the "frozen pick" rule will come into effect. If the Wolves stay above the second apron, then they will be unable to trade any first-round picks.
The best course of action may be to hope that Towns becomes a better playoff performer in the coming years. He has had flashes, and the added experience may help him as he stays in his prime.
