Connelly's 'Sub-26' Comment May Have Signaled Big Changes Ahead for Wolves

Consider the Timberwolves a team that is prepared to build on a young foundation, perhaps thanking veterans like Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle for their years of service and moving forward without them.

Nothing is certain, but the way Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly spoke at his end-of-season press conference on Tuesday, big changes could be coming this summer.

"The season we had last year was more successful than this season, so we're not content where we are," Connelly said. "We finished sixth in the West again, and it didn't end the way we wanted, so I think everything's on the table."

Connelly mentioned being optimistic about the Wolves' "sub-26" core, meaning the players currently on the team who are 26 years old or younger. That immediately excludes Gobert (33), Randle (31), Donte DiVincenzo (29), Mike Conley (38), Kyle Anderson (32), and Joe Ingles (38), who is already off to Australia.

Here are the players aged 26 and younger, with the guys Connelly is probably referring to in bold.

Joan Beringer, 19
Rocco Zikarsky, 19
Julian Phillips, 22
Jaylen Clark, 24
Anthony Edwards, 24
Bones Hyland, 25
Jaden McDaniels, 25
Terrence Shannon Jr., 25
Enrique Freeman, 25
Zyon Pullin, 25
Ayo Dosunmu, 26
Naz Reid, 26

"Sometimes your internal growth surprises you. I think we have a couple guys in here whose roles will be much bigger next year," Connelly said. Who was he talking about? He didn't outright reveal them, but he couldn't help but gush about Beringer and Zikarsky.

"We have a couple of young bigs — we talk about Joan, we think Rocco's going to be a really good player — that are rapidly developing, and knocking on the door of getting real minutes. When Joan played, he was productive, and he was productive in pressure-packed games," said Connelly.

Feb 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Joan Beringer (19) looks on during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

At 6-foot-11 and 7-foot-3, respectively, there's no way the Wolves bring back Rudy Gobert and have three centers in the rotation. One of them has to go. Gobert's contract makes trading for a high-priced player doable, while Beringer and Zikarsky, who are oozing with talent at only 19 years old apiece, could also be dangled in trades.

TJ Shannon, who once looked like an intriguing trade chip, may suddenly be untradable since the only way to contend with the Spurs and Thunder is with a surplus of really good guards and wings. Connelly referenced both teams and Minnesota's need for "positional versatility" and "size on the perimeter."

"I think the equation changes when you see the two teams playing the Western Conference now and how good they are," Connelly said. "We know our competition is not going to sit still, and nor will we."

Ayo Dosunmu is a top priority

Connelly called Dosunmu the team's "most important free agent," which fits the mindset of having more guards and wings who can play offense and defense.

"I think his best basketball is in front of him. We're pretty optimistic that we'll get something done there," Connelly said of Dosunmu. "He's everything we thought and more."

Bones Hyland and Conley are free agents, but neither is an effective presence on the defensive end of the floor. Likewise, Jaylen Clark, while not a free agent, provides very little offensive juice.

Whether Dosunmu is the point guard Connelly desires to take pressure off of Anthony Edwards is unclear, but he's certainly going to be prioritizing ball-handlers with a high basketball IQ to get Edwards more open shots.

"Basketball IQ and toughness are two of the attributes you're going to look for to continue to augment the core group," he said. "I think when we have a top player in the world in Anthony, and we're pretty aware of the guys that can most, not just help him, but protect him, and those skill sets are something we're going to look for to add more of to our building this summer."

Protect him?

"Where are the areas that he needs help with? How can we create more easy looks for him?" Connelly elaborated. "He's an elite catch-and-shoot guy. We need to do a better job of finding guys who can get those catch-and-shoot looks for him."

Jaden McDaniels isn't going anywhere

Fat chance. McDaniels still appears to be an untouchable core player.

"Yeah, I think without question," Connelly said when asked if McDaniels can become a No. 2 scorer. "Jaden has a whole 'nother gear to reach. In a closeout game, to have 32 (points) and 10 (rebounds) versus a really, really good team. We want to hold him, keep raising the bar. As good as he is, we think his best basketball is in front of him. I think there's a lot more he can unlock as a playmaker, too. We have to ensure that he's in a position to do those things, but he's a guy that, offensively, has a whole 'nother place he can get to, and we're confident he can get there next year."

More on the 2026-27 depth chart

If the Wolves want an eight or nine-man rotation and six of the spots belong to Ant, Jaden, Naz, Ayo, Shannon, and Beringer, with a seventh spot possibly going to Zikarsky, then we know they'll be in the market for two or three more quality players. Likely guards and wings who give Connelly more positional versatility and size on the perimeter.

If they can shed the contracts of Gobert and Randle, they'll easily be able to afford Dosunmu. And it leaves them with some cap space to find another wing or two in free agency or in a trade. At that point, the options are overwhelming. Connelly could go crazy and try to trade for a star guard like Philly's Tyrese Maxey, or he could try to pry a restricted free agent like Cason Wallace from Oklahoma City.

Position	Starter	Backup	Backup
G			Jaylen Clark
G	Anthony Edwards		Donte DiVincenzo (late season return)
G/F	Ayo Dosunmu	TJ Shannon	Julian Phillips
G/F	Jaden McDaniels
C/F	Naz Reid	Joan Beringer	Rocco Zikarsky

You may think the defense with that starting unit would struggle, and you might be right, but part of the calculus involves getting a point guard to take the offensive pressure off Edwards, which should allow him to commit to a more tenacious brand of defense.

With a foundation like that, the Wolves could focus this summer on trading Gobert and Randle, and then finding a point guard, another guard, and a backup forward. If they do that, then they could have six or seven quality guards by the time DiVincenzo returns from his Achilles injury during the second half of the season.

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