Timberwolves' Big Summer Also Comes With Daunting Reality

When Rudy Gobert was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the summer of 2022, it was a trial run of expectations for a blockbuster move.

For a franchise that never seemed to make those kind of regular big swings, Gobert entering the fold was a vault into an echelon of competition that the team nor fans were immediately ready to digest.

Flash forward to the end of December 2022, and the Wolves were 16-21, held a players-only meeting on New Year's Eve, and fans were left scratching their heads at what was looking like one of the worst trades the league had ever seen.

Believe we have a players only meeting going on here for the Wolves. Game ended 45 minutes ago and the locker room still has not opened to the media.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) January 1, 2023

But knowing what we know now, a clear period was needed where roster tweaks needed to be made around the move, veteran leaders needed to be brought in, and a willingness to play around Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns at the time required buy in.

A year and a half after the players only meeting, Minnesota was abuzz during the first Western Conference Finals appearance in 20 years.

A similar track happened after the Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns Towns trade. The Wolves were 9-10 through the end of November and treaded water through the All-Star break. They then would go on a late-season run to parlay into another conference finals appearance.

This time, however, there won't be as much leeway in the public square of opinion for a couple of reasons.

Timberwolves have a new kind of pressure for 2026-27 season

Acclimation periods are a direct correlation of locker room leadership. During both the Gobert surge in 2023-24 and the Randle puzzle getting solved a year later, Mike Conley was a key contributor in the lineup, providing a valuable coach on the court and calming presence off of it. Some of the erosion that took place this past offseason was a direct correlation of his waning impact on the floor.

Anthony Edwards is now entering Year No. 7, and it's imperative for he, LaMelo Ball, Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels to collectively keep the train on the track and meld together.

Furthermore, the roster is far too talented to go a full year of figuring each other out. The entrance of a true point guard into the lineup is extremely important for making sure the ball is fed to everyone.

Jonathan Kuminga is essentially on a one-year contract, surely looking to increase his value next summer and secure something long term and lucrative.

A history of high iso and usage rates (his usage rate of 22.3 this past season was five points higher than Jaden McDaniels) will need to be downsized, and surely will be at the top of coach Chris Finch's list this season to work a higher-usage player into a lineup where it doesn't disturb the opportunities for others.

Jonathan Kuminga averages only 1.8 assists throughout his career, but man, when you watch him play, his passing ability does pop in certain situations. Can read a collapsed/broken defensive coverage well and shows a nice touch on his passes. pic.twitter.com/Kz2vpraY51
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) September 6, 2026

With 27 nationally-televised games this season, including a home Christmas day game, it will mark back-to-back seasons that the Timberwolves will be on national TV 25 or more times. That's not a normal stretch for this franchise.

LaMelo Ball brings in a massive fanbase that will surely compound with the eyes the team already draws as a perennial playoff team and residence of Edwards. All to say, the circumstances now are not the same as when the move for Gobert was made. It's uncharted waters of sorts for a team that has seen a lot over the last few years.

Only this time, they're out of moves to make. And a "trial by fire" period of season's past cannot be an option.

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