Timberwolves' Buzzy Offseason Says a Lot About Their Trajectory

We don't know if Jonathan Kuminga or LaMelo Ball will work out just yet, but for right now, we can call this summer an exciting success for Minnesota.

While we wait to see if the Jonathan Kuminga signing works out for the Minnesota Timberwolves, we can already call that move — and Minnesota's offseason overall — a success. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week, the Timberwolves secured a deal with Jonathan Kuminga, a polarizing on-ball demanding scorer who has yet to find a home in the NBA, with Minnesota becoming his third team in two years.

The Wolves believe that Kuminga, with what they see as untapped defensive potential and a versatile offense, can help them match up against physical teams in the Western Conference. But there is rightful concern amongst fans. Kuminga has his flaws. There is a chance that he does not fit well in Minnesota, and the signing blows up in Tim Connelly’s face.

But right now, we can already chalk up the acquisition—and Minnesota’s offseason as a whole—as an exciting success.

This summer is a mile marker for the Timberwolves

You don’t have to look very hard to tell that this Timberwolves team is at a spot it’s never been at. They have made it out of the first round in three straight seasons. They employ one of the NBA’s most talked-about stars in Anthony Edwards, who loves playing here. Fans pack their stadium every night. And for the first time ever, those fans will be able to watch their team play at home on Christmas Day this season.

The Timberwolves have rapidly ascended from being the laughingstock of the NBA to a team legitimately hunting a championship, loaded with star power, and a destination capable of winning a free-agent signing battle against a big-market team.

Luka Doncic could have teamed up with Jonathan Kuminga this summer with the Los Angeles Lakers, but Kuminga took a cheaper deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves instead. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kuminga, 23, could have signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were offering the free-agent forward a three-year contract worth roughly $36 million. Like Minnesota, the Lakers could have given Kuminga a starting role at power forward. He would have joined Luka Doncic, one of the NBA’s best passing point guards and a threat to win MVP when healthy.

Minnesota doesn’t have the glitz, glamor and 70-degree days in January that Los Angeles does. Minnesota doesn’t have Rodeo Drive. It has the North Loop and Mall of America. 

Yet, what the Timberwolves do have is an elite passing point guard of their own in LaMelo Ball, who can unlock Kuminga’s rim-running offense similarly to Doncic. They also have a perennial superstar in Edwards.

For decades, the Timberwolves would never have been able to compete with an organization like the Lakers in a free agent signing battle. Even in the years when LA was not a playoff threat, the prospect of living in Southern California and playing for a storied franchise was still enough to make it a free-agent destination.

Given the contract LA reportedly offered Kuminga, nobody would have been surprised if he had signed with the Lakers. Instead, he took a bet on himself, signing essentially a one-year contract worth half as much annually as LA’s offer because he prefers the fit in Minnesota centered around Edwards, Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert.

By himself, Edwards has made Minnesota a greater free agent destination. He played a part in recruiting Kuminga to the Timberwolves, making calls to him throughout the summer as he surveyed his options across the league. Edwards has blossomed into a star that other players greatly respect and want to play alongside.

Playing with Edwards reportedly held “strong appeal” for Giannis Antetokounmpo last season, as his time in Milwaukee drew to a close. And this summer, LeBron James—who is a big fan of Edwards—at the very least considered teaming up with Minnesota’s superstar.

Anthony Edwards recruited Jonathan Kuminga to join him in the upper Midwest, and his efforts paid off — the Minnesota Timberwolves are signing Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year, $12.4 million deal. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ultimately, Antetokounmpo landed in Miami, and James in Philadelphia. The mere possibility of the Timberwolves acquiring either of those names indicated they are becoming a destination that can entice star talent.

At a certain point, only being in the running for coveted free agents or stars with a say in where they get traded to is not good enough for a team that is trying to win a championship with their superstar at the height of his powers.

Kuminga is not the type of talent that Antetokounmpo or James are. But he is a free agent that other teams—who could have offered him more money or potentially a larger role—wanted. Kuminga is good enough to significantly raise Minnesota’s ceiling, though,as long as he buys into a complementary role.

Tim Connelly continues to make Wolves a better, and more valuable, destination

Tim Connelly not only fended off other franchises to sign a top talent, but he did so on a contract that's also a low-risk gamble, which wouldn't have been possible without the careful roster construction that lured Kuminga here in the first place.

Connelly has played a major part in making Minnesota a desirable destination by constantly orchestrating moves that raise the team’s ceiling. First, it was his trade for Rudy Gobert. Then, it was trading Karl-Anthony Towns to free up necessary cap space. Now, it is trading for Ball and signing Kuminga.

All of those deals carry risk to some degree, but from a fan perspective, the most important thing you can ask of your front office and ownership is that they are willing to spend their money to make the team competitive while making potentially risky moves for big-name talent.

Last week, Marc Lore sold his controlling ownership in the Timberwolves and Lynx to Marc Stad for a franchise valuation of $4.5 billion a year. That figure ranks as the fourth-largest team sale in NBA history.

Marc Stad is buying a controlling stake in the Timberwolves/Lynx franchise from Marc Lore for $4.5B

Marc Stad reportedly is "fully on board" with not moving the Wolves and Lynx out of Minnesota, and is all in on building a new stadium, per @JonKrawczynski pic.twitter.com/M5cQr1mnUn

— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) August 21, 2026

Over the last five years, the Timberwolves’ value has skyrocketed alongside Edwards’ rise, consistent playoff appearances, sellout crowds, and Connelly's big moves. That has all been powered by an ownership group that is willing to pay the luxury tax. And so far, all indications say that Stad has the same vision as Lore and Rodriguez: keep the Timberwolves winning in Minnesota and ultimately in a new arena. Stad also gave Connelly the freedom to be aggressive as needed to pursue Kuminga.

Ultimately, we won’t know whether Connelly’s moves this summer will play out on the court as he expects. There is evidence to say that they will. There is also evidence for fans to be skeptical. 

But for the time being, this summer has still been a success for the Timberwolves because it firmly labels them as an organization they have never been. They have owners who have so far been willing to spend, a team whose value has skyrocketed, and a destination that attracted a starting-caliber free agent away from LA.

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