Minnesota TimberwolvesBall to free up Edwards, Minnesota's new gamble
Minnesota is handing more creation duties to LaMelo Ball to give Anthony Edwards different looks at the basket.
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Minnesota is handing more creation duties to LaMelo Ball to give Anthony Edwards different looks at the basket. The Timberwolves keep Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels as their defensive reference points, but the balance of their frontcourt has changed. After a conference semi-final exit, the challenge is to take a step forward with the ball shared out differently.
The starting point: 49 wins, then a playoff ceiling
Sixth in the West with 49 wins and 33 defeats, Minnesota went out of the 2026 playoffs in the conference semi-finals. Chris Finch keeps a group that knows what the postseason demands, though not quite the same players around Edwards. The question is less about producing a one-off feat than about the solutions available when a defence targets the best scorer and slows his first options.
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A summer spent changing how the ball moves
LaMelo Ball arrives in a deal that notably sees Julius Randle and Naz Reid depart. Jonathan Kuminga, Trey Lyles, Cody Williams and Isaiah Evans also join the group. Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, Joe Ingles and Julian Phillips are no longer part of this new cycle. The change therefore affects both creation and the frontcourt relays. Ball gives Finch a point guard who can push the ball up the floor quickly; Kuminga will have to find a complementary role rather than reproduce Randle's.
- →LaMelo BallLaMelo Ball · arrival
- →Isaiah EvansIsaiah Evans · arrival
- →Jonathan KumingaJonathan Kuminga · arrival
- →Trey LylesTrey Lyles · arrival
- →Cody WilliamsCody Williams · arrival
- ←Julius Randle · departure
- ←Naz Reid · departure
- ←Mike Conley · departure
- ←Kyle Anderson · departure
- ←Joe Ingles · departure
- ←Julian Phillips · departure
The squad's attacking benchmarks
2025–26 regular season, all teams combined. A documented selection of players with at least ten games; not an exhaustive ranking. The new arrivals produced these figures before joining.
Edwards, a scorer who can also be a receiver
Anthony Edwards
Edwards comes off a season averaging 28.8 points per game over 61 games, shooting 39.9% from three. Ball, for his part, averaged 7.1 assists per game before his arrival, in 72 games. The appeal of the pairing is that it lets the former receive the ball in better conditions, instead of building every shot from the start of the possession. That will depend on his movement off the ball and on the screens set by his team-mates. The new point guard's passing volume will not be enough if the other players stand still.
24 % of the team's scoring average
14 % of the team's assist average
Ratios of per-game averages for 2025–2026, not official shares of totals. Player and team have different numbers of games; the new signing may have played for another club.
The projected five and the minutes to be reallocated
Our season projection brings together LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga and Rudy Gobert. This five is not official. McDaniels would keep the toughest defensive assignments on the perimeter, Gobert the protection of the rim and Kuminga a role as finisher and rebounder. Ayo Dosunmu can run the offence or play alongside the two guards, with Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark providing other looks on the wings. Trey Lyles and Joan Beringer offer frontcourt alternatives, while Cody Williams has to earn his place. The absence of Donte DiVincenzo opens up minutes without automatically pointing to who will get them.
The other rotation options
SNA season projection, not an official starting five or a guaranteed opening-night line-up. Roles and availability are detailed in the text and the dated update.
The three-point shot
2025–2026 averages, all teams combined. Documented selection: minimum ten games and at least one attempt per game. Red line: club average, 37%.
Availability: status as of 15 October 2026
Donte DiVincenzo · Out. Enrique Freeman · Questionable (day to day). Rocco Zikarsky · Questionable (day to day). These statuses relate to preparation and may change. They guarantee neither availability for the opener nor the choice of starting five.
The squad: 21 players
List of 21 players recorded at camp on 15 October 2026. The positions are those on the official list; versatile players can fill several roles. This snapshot includes depth players and does not prejudge the final roster or the minutes.
| Player | Status | Pts | Reb | Ast | 3PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forwards and utility players | |||||
| Norchad Omier | – | – | – | – | |
| Jaden McDaniels | 14.8 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 41.2 % | |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | – | – | – | – | |
| Cody Williams | New signing | – | – | – | – |
| Drew Timme | – | – | – | – | |
| Joan Beringer | – | – | – | – | |
| Jonathan Kuminga | New signing | 12.2 | 5.6 | 2.3 | 33.3 % |
| Enrique Freeman | Doubtful | – | – | – | – |
| Isaiah Evans | New signing | – | – | – | – |
| Trey Lyles | New signing | – | – | – | – |
| KJ Martin | – | – | – | – | |
| Guards | |||||
| Donte DiVincenzo | Out | – | – | – | – |
| LaMelo Ball | New signing | 20.1 | 4.8 | 7.1 | 36.8 % |
| Anthony Edwards | 28.8 | 5 | 3.7 | 39.9 % | |
| Jaylen Clark | – | – | – | – | |
| Bones Hyland | – | – | – | – | |
| Antonio Reeves | – | – | – | – | |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 14.8 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 43.9 % | |
| Zyon Pullin | – | – | – | – | |
| Centres and bigs | |||||
| Rudy Gobert | 10.9 | 11.5 | 1.7 | – | |
| Rocco Zikarsky | Doubtful | – | – | – | – |
2025–26 averages, all teams combined. "–": unverified data, or the threshold of ten games and one three-point attempt not met. Camp group, not the final rotation. Statuses are as of 15 October, with no guarantee for the opener.
Strengths and risks: protecting the group's defence
The Ball–Edwards duo offers an attractive creative option; the presence of Gobert and McDaniels provides anchors at the other end of the floor. Gobert grabbed 11.5 rebounds per game in 2025–2026. However, the departures of Randle and Reid mean the relays must be rebuilt when the French centre sits. Kuminga's integration, control of turnovers and getting back in defence will be concrete tests. A more spectacular attack will only count as progress if it does not weaken the defence in the possessions that follow.
The foundations
- Ball and Edwards sharing the creation.
- Gobert and McDaniels as defensive anchors.
- Several athletic profiles.
Work in progress
- Reorganise the interior relays.
- Limit turnovers and get back in transition defence.
- Redistribute minutes during the absences.
The ambition: reclaiming a leading role in the West
Direct qualification for the playoffs is a coherent target, and a longer run remains possible. Minnesota will first have to prove that its new combinations work against teams capable of cutting off the first pass. Tight games will show whether Ball and Edwards can alternate responsibilities, and whether their team-mates still have a useful role when the tempo drops. It is those collective answers that will give weight to the group's ambition.
Direct qualification for the playoffs is a sensible target, and a longer run remains possible.
Roles and pairings will have to turn these ambitions into collective results.
Minnesota open away at Miami Heat on 22 October at 0:30 in Brazzaville. The game is scheduled for 21 October in the United States. The preseason that precedes it does not count towards the regular-season record. Find fixtures and results after that on the SNA NBA calendar.
22 October at 00:30, Brazzaville time · match centre
- The team’s live schedule appears here.
Countdown to tip-off.