Which Wolves stay? Who goes? Our player-by-player roster breakdown
Which Timberwolves players will be back in September when training camp opens? Impossible to know at this stage, maybe even for the top bosses — general manager Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch.
Which Timberwolves do fans want back? That's another tough question to answer, considering they have star power and yet offered very average basketball this past season. They finished 42-40 and earned the No. 8 seed before being quickly ushered out of the playoffs by top-seeded Denver.
Star Tribune NBA beat writer Chris Hine analyzes the roster and each player's prospects at pulling on the Timberwolves jersey this fall at training camp:
STARTERS
In his eighth season, Towns missed 52 games because of a right calf injury, and the Wolves were never able to see how good he and Rudy Gobert could be together on the floor over an extended period.
Contract status: Signed through 2028, will make $36 million next season
Looking ahead: Towns, 27, has one more season before his supermax contract kicks in and he'll be making over $50 million per season. The team has one more year to gauge if he and Gobert can fit around Anthony Edwards long-term, and if Towns will ever become a consistent producer in the playoffs.
In or out?: There's a case that the Wolves should move on from Towns before his salary jumps, but expect him to be back as the Wolves play out the Gobert/Towns partnership.
Rudy Gobert
He had an up-and-down season as he got used to new teammates and they got used to him. Earned a team suspension for a play-in tournament loss to the Lakers for punching teammate Kyle Anderson in a team huddle. The Wolves also had a top 10 defense with him for the first time since 2004.
Contract status: Signed through 2026. Will make $41 million next season.
Looking ahead: With a season of familiarity, the Wolves are hoping things can jell around Gobert on both ends of the floor next season. Gobert, 30, pledged to have the best offseason he has had in a while.
In or out?: Despite fan frustration with the trade, Gobert isn't going anywhere.
Anthony Edwards
Twenty-one-year-old Ant made his first All-Star Game appearance after helping keep the Wolves afloat following Towns' injury. He also had a standout series against Denver in the postseason. His fit alongside Gobert was clunky at times.
Contract status: Signed through 2024. Will make $13.5 million next season
Looking ahead: Expect the Wolves to offer Edwards a lucrative max extension this offseason. Edwards will likely be and should be the focal point of the Wolves' offense moving forward.
In or out?: The fan base would revolt if Edwards went anywhere.
Mike Conley
Conley proved at 35 he still had plenty left in his legs. He played the "connector" role on offense well and stepped up his scoring when needed. He shot 42% from three-point range after coming to the Wolves at the trade deadline.
Contract status: Signed through 2024. Will make $24.3 million next season
Looking ahead: Conley's individual game is fine and has shown few signs of decline. His biggest test will be getting everyone on the same page offensively with Gobert, something the Wolves were starting to do, but couldn't do consistently.
In or out?: Finch couldn't heap enough praise on Conley, so expect the veteran to be the starter next season.
Jaden McDaniels
Having a career-best season on both ends of the floor, Anderson punched a wall on the final day of the regular season, broke his right hand and was out for the postseason.
Contract status: Signed through 2024. Will make $3.9 million next season.
Looking ahead: McDaniels, 22, has improved each of his three years in the league. Expect him to keep adding to his offense while honing his defensive acumen, the next step of which will be limiting fouls. (He committed 3.4 per game, tied for eighth highest in the league)
In or out?: In, and another player that might cause fan revolt if traded.
BENCH
Kyle Anderson
He was more valuable than many thought he might be when he signed with the Wolves. Anderson, 29, played many positions and filled in the starting lineup when Towns went down.
Contract status: Signed through 2024. Will make $9.2 million next season.
Looking ahead: If everyone is healthy, Anderson figures to be a Swiss Army knife off the bench as the team's sixth man. He can do a little bit of everything, giving him the ability to play with any lineup combination.
In our out?: Don't expect him to be going anywhere.
Naz Reid
Reid started off not playing some nights but became one of the team's most valuable players filling in for an injured Towns. He continued his solid production when Towns came back.
Contract status: Unrestricted free agency
Looking ahead: Reid, 23, continues to blossom on offense. He is a matchup nightmare for some teams given his bag of tricks on that end of the floor. As long as he can play solid enough defense, his future is bright.
In or out?: This is the biggest question mark of the Wolves' offseason. Reid has always craved more opportunity, so as of now, it feels like he ends up elsewhere. But if the Wolves offer him a big enough payday, perhaps he comes back.
Taurean Prince
Prince missed 28 games, many due to a shoulder injury he suffered in late November. His shooting is valuable when he is on. (He was 38% from three-point range this season.)
Contract status: Signed through 2024 on a team option worth $7.5 million
Looking ahead: Prince, 29, is another player who can provide value at both ends of the floor. The Wolves will have to decide to pick up his option before free agency begins July 1.
In or out?: Likely in. He would still be a significant player off the bench at a reasonable price. The Wolves don't have much room to sign outside free agents because they are over the salary cap. It would be a surprise if they let Prince walk.
Jaylen Nowell
The 23-year-old started strong, but his minutes and production were inconsistent. It didn't help that Nowell was playing through a knee injury the last several weeks of the season.
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
Looking ahead: Nowell will likely seek opportunity elsewhere as he looks for a more regular role that will allow him to flourish.
In or out?: Likely out. It would be a surprise if Nowell was in a Wolves uniform next season.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
He looked like a throw-in as part of the Conley trade-deadline deal, but became a starter by the postseason. His defense kept him on the floor and the 24-year-old earned a lot of praise from Finch and Connelly.
Contract status: Restricted free agent.
Looking ahead: Restricted free agency is always tricky to handicap, but there is mutual interest on both sides to come back for next season. He can be a valuable defender off the bench with some offensive upside (38% three-point shooter last season).
In or out?: In, since the Wolves have ultimate control whether he stays or goes, and the organization likes him.
Jordan McLaughin
He suffered a calf injury in November and was never the same. A staple of the Wolves' rotation last season, McLaughlin wasn't playing some nights in the playoffs.
Contract status: Signed through 2024 on a team option worth $2.3 million
Looking ahead: The Wolves will look to bolster their point guard position, but that can be done even with McLaughlin in the fold. Perhaps McLaughlin can regain form with an offseason to get 100% healthy.
In or out?: McLaughlin, 27, is set to make just $2.3 million next season, which is a number worth bringing him back for, even if he did struggle down the stretch. It's a low-risk move to pick up the option and hope he can become the player he was last season.
Austin Rivers
A valuable minimum contract signing, Rivers played in 52 games and helped the team when Towns was out. He brings leadership to the locker room.
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent.
Looking ahead: Rivers, 30, will be in his 11th season and can still be effective in a defensive capacity.
In or out?: Likely out, if the Wolves are serious about upgrading their point guard situation. But the Wolves will still need to round out the roster with minimum contract players like Rivers.
Nathan Knight
A spot player off the bench, he never got consistent minutes while appearing in 38 games.
Contract status: Signed through 2024 on a partially guaranteed team option worth up to $2 million.
Looking ahead: If Reid goes, 25-year-old Knight could be depth on the front line. If Reid returns, hard to figure where Knight fits in.
In or out?: Leaning toward out, but could go either way. The Wolves need affordable depth pieces, and Knight fits the bill, but there are a lot of moving pieces with the center position this offseason.
Josh Minott
The 20-year-old became the darling of diehard fans on social media thanks to his athleticism and impressive box scores in the G-League.
Contract status: Signed through 2026, he'll make $1.7 million next season.
Looking ahead: The team likes what it saw from Minott, who will continue to refine his game and could compete for minutes next season.
In or out?: In, as Minott has shown he can be an important developmental piece for the organization moving forward.
Wendell Moore Jr.
He played sparingly with the NBA club but posted good numbers with Iowa in the G-League.
Contract status: Signed through 2026, he'll make $2.4 million next season.
Looking ahead: Moore, 21, did a good job of learning the Wolves' system and how the team wants him to play, Finch said. It will be important for him to develop into a rotation piece in future seasons.
In or out?: In, as he will be in the second year of a rookie deal.
Luka Garza
After putting up great numbers in the G-League, he saw some minutes when Towns went down.
Contract status: Restricted free agent.
Looking ahead: Garza, 24, has shown he has the offensive ability to play at the NBA level, and the Wolves are high on him.
In or out?: In. It feels like it would be a mistake to let Garza go, especially if Reid doesn't come back.
Matt Ryan
Ryan, 26, came to the Wolves on a two-way contract at midseason and played in 22 games.
Contract status: Restricted free agent.
Looking ahead: There's always a need for a shooter on an NBA roster. Will the Wolves consider bringing him back?
In or out?: Feels like out, given the Wolves didn't use him all that much as the season went along.
