Minnesota Timberwolves 2026 Offseason Part 1: Ayo, free agency, & trade market | Third Apron Podcast

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]Welcome to another Third Apron podcast.

[00:00:01]I'm your host Josie Goslin, NBA Sourcat analyst. Here we are doing another offseason preview and mockoff season Minnesota Timberwolves today. Joining me from last year's Dane Moore to talk about their outlook and then discuss potential trade targets, uh how the Wolves can fill up the roster, all within the salary cap rules, all that and more coming up.

[00:00:24]Dane, thanks for joining me again. How are you doing? And how are you feeling about the Wolves going forward after this season?

[00:00:30]>> That's a loaded question. I'm doing I'm doing good. Uh I don't know how to feel exactly about the the Wolves summer and and off season. I think it's I think it's really layered, right? Like as we'll get into today, there's just some of the cap functionality stuff that we definitely need to get into when talking about the Timberwolves off season. But we also I think a lot of it is about strategy for roster construction and stylistically how you want to build this thing out going forward around Anthony Edwards uh in comparison to how you have built it out the the first you know six years of his career and and sometimes having those critical type of conversations right are are difficult to do when it's a team that has had a lot of success in recent years. I mean, five playoff series wins for the Wolves in the last three seasons is just straight up, you know, impressive and kind of one of those things that that can sort of make you sit on your hands. Um, and I don't know, it it is one of those situations where maybe they should be aggressive, maybe they should sit on their hands, and I think a lot of that is is found in the nuance that we'll uh we'll get into today. Yeah, it's a it's an interesting spot where I feel like if you're a Wolves fan, it's hard to really complain where based on the past four years and now we're about four years removed from the Rudy trade, which at the time I didn't like the trade, but now I think at this point I I was wrong.

[00:01:56]It ended up being worth everything, I think. Uh they just keep surpassing expectations. I didn't think again this year, like every year I I don't I didn't think they'd go as far as they did. Even this year, I like most people picked Denver. So now when you're looking forward, this team was constructed largely to beat Denver. Now they've beaten them to the point that now maybe the Nuggets might be over. Um, but overall, Wolves are still a great team, and I still feel like they should be top fourish in the West, but the bar is obviously risen now with OKC and San Antonio. So you're talking about yeah, you know, there's all the salary cap limitations and strategy, how you build around Edwards to build the best team possible to contend. And I still think there is a pathway where you've got a really talented top 10ish player uh in Anthony Edwards. So you have like I just with him alone, you could figure something out, I think. But I at the same time like I do think there is going to be some risk involved if they want to do something to try to hopefully touch OKC San Antonio because I think like clearly they're definitely like a leg behind those teams. Uh so it's like the question, do you want to do something like that or do you want to continue this really sustainable team?

[00:03:16]Because that's kind of what they signed up for when they got Rudy. You're going to be really good. You're going to make the playoffs. you they went pretty far, maybe further than they hoped. Do you is it uh like how do you weigh kind of potentially messing with that to then hopefully take a step further? It's it's tough. It's a lot of I really don't know how to answer it as I as I've done prep for all this today.

[00:03:38]>> Yeah, but I do think it's a good place for us to start for other people who are listening to this and you know, especially people who haven't been, you know, watching every transaction the Wolves have been doing and all all of those sort of things, right? and really thought about building out the Timberwolves. But part of building out the Timberwolves right now starts with acknowledging the fact that there are two [clears throat] monster teams in this Western Conference right now who have stars similar in age to Anthony Edwards. Teams that have better core players in San Antonio and Oklahoma City than the Timberwolves do. Uh teams that have a better bench than the Timberwolves do.

[00:04:13]And teams that have substantially more assets than the Timberwolves do. But like you also don't want to be a punk, right? and be like, "Okay, cool." They got Shay and Webby like, "We're just going to chill here until for five years with Anthony Edward." It's like, "No, that's not that's that's soft. That's not something Aunt's going to roll with there." So, how do you appropriately contend with those teams, remain competitive in the Western Conference without totally like setting yourself up to be like, "Yeah, well, we're just down here as the fourth best team and like shout out to those teams above us, you know, we're just going to be cool being the four seed in the West." Like that.

[00:04:51]It's not that. But you you need to strategically think about how much to put in, right? How much to how much of the assets that you have on your roster or limited draft pick assets that you have do you want to invest here to be able to to compete with those with those teams? Because there is a world, if we're just being, you know, real about it, where they go allin and they they make some big move and it makes them theoretically competitive with Oklahoma City and San Antonio for the next couple years. Giannis trade, right? Well, if that doesn't work, then here you are two years from now or something like that and you're like, "That didn't work.

[00:05:29]Aunt's now 26 years old, coming up on turning 27 years old, literally in his prime." And you go, "Well, we got nothing left." Um, so the stakes are high, man. Like I I I think that would just be the way I would put it. Like the stakes are high and the decision-m this front office makes in the areas that we're going to talk about today is is critical. they their next move needs to be a a move that clearly helps them in the way the Rudy goar trade did. It cannot be like the Rob Dillingham trade where that clearly set them back a long ways. So yeah, I guess that's the way I would put it is the stakes are high um but so too is the competition. So So how do you how do you navigate that? The stakes are indeed high and the Wolves, this front office has shown in the past they're not afraid of going all in.

[00:06:21]They've gone all in technically several times. The Rudy go Bear trade that was all in trading every single first round pick they could trade at the time. Uh lots of players. Um then even the Rob Dillingham trade that was kind of volunte because as soon as they uh two years pass from the go bear trade they have their first first round pick uh available to trade the one they could trade. They tra trade that in I believe a swap as well. Uh they're not afraid to push their chips in like as soon as they can. And now they're in that kind of a reset again where they're going to have their 2033 first round pick and then they could also trade their uh first round pick in this draft. So I think if the opportunity comes along, they're going to push those chips in. I don't think they're afraid to do it and maybe they even feel more urged to do it at this point. Uh but you touch on it. They have not only a complicated salary cap situation, which we'll get into in the mockoff season, but they are very limited in what the trade uh aside from those two draft picks. So, you touched on Giannis. We might as well discuss that because I haven't really gotten too deep into what that could look like anywhere on my podcast or even written about it because it's just so complicated cuz you got to trade more than two picks. So the whole theory is do you find another suitor for Gudy Goar, another suitor for Julius Randall?

[00:07:46]Those teams then reroute assets to the Bucks. It's tough and we'll get into that type of question in the mockoff season, but they're already at a very big disadvantage to getting a guy like him. Personally, I feel like they're probably gonna have to put in Jayen McDaniels to even get the ball rolling on an offer. And I just don't I I just think you got to keep him on this contract like the that having a player like him on that contract is exactly what the Wolves need to continue this thing. So it's it's tough but and even then you're not guaranteed to get Giannis if you put him on the table. Um, in general, >> how do you think about it just from like a roster construction standpoint of like let's put Giannis on the Timberwolves and let's take everything else off of the Timberwolves pretty other than like >> that's what I was going to get into.

[00:08:38]You're going to have no depth after. And I think one of the big strengths about this Wolves team is when fully healthy now Danchenzo is out. this top eightish group. It's It's such a strong equation.

[00:08:53]You're probably looking at like you're a top five after that and then that's kind of it. And I don't even know how strong that top five will be because if Go Bear's out uh as well, who do you you know, I guess are you starting Nas Reed?

[00:09:07]Uh could you get another big man who could protect the rim? There's just so many questions as far as what the roster is left after and they're going to have so little means to upgrade the roster because you're going to be hardcaped to an apron because one of them that we don't know which one depending on uh what the trade is for Giannis hope you know and even if you get to uh you do a 100% match for him you could go up to second apron you really could only use minimum signings you don't really have many means to upgrade the ro to upgrade the roster after that. So that's that's the tough part. Where are you on that about how it would basically decimate their depth?

[00:09:44]>> Yeah, I think that's important again if we're looking at this through the context of playing Oklahoma City and San Antonio. And I think again like I said before, you don't need to look at the Timberwolves and compare them against Oklahoma City and San Antonio. There is another world here where you're just a good building somewhat linearly Western Conference team. But by going to go trade for Giannis Satennako or even considering the process, you are then putting yourself in contention and comparison with Oklahoma City and San Antonio. And so, so the way I look at that is, yeah, all right, your depth is gone. Um, they're going to have a major leg up there. those teams are going to play fast against you in the the postseason after an 82 game regular season, which is faster and more time on your your your five guys who like you said and minimum players, like it's just you're you're going to you're going to catch some injuries and stuff like that.

[00:10:35]So, even if you have five guys and all minimums, well, by the time you play Oklahoma City or San Antonio in the semis or the conference finals, one of those guys is probably hurt. That's just like a reality of the situation. I think people need to bake in to all roster construction, especially thinly constructed rosters here. So that that feels like you're setting yourself up for a major disadvantage against those two teams from a depth standpoint. Now, the other side of it, and I I am much more glowy about this now after the Wolves played San Antonio and got destroyed by them. Um, is that Giannis is as good of an answer for Victor as as anybody. I mean, I I I think that would on both sides of the ball. He's not going to be he's not going to be able to shut off the rim from Giannis anywhere near the degree that he was able to shut the rim off from Randall and everybody else in uh in this series before. And Giannis is going to be able to guard guys like on both San Antonio and Oklahoma City that I think is very limiting. So it definitely puts you in contention with those teams. Um but you lose the depth.

[00:11:44]So, I think you have to factor in the depth and then you have to factor in the idea that San Antonio and Oklahoma City next year are going to be teams who are benefiting from continuity. Whereas, if you're the Timberwolves and you just made this completely roster altering trade, you do not have that continuity either. So, how even do you stack up with Oklahoma City and San Antonio? Even if somehow you make a if you acquire Giannis for relatively cheap, it's still it's still difficult to be able to I I don't I guess believe it.

[00:12:15]>> Now, if they were to pull off a Giannis trade, they it would come with like major surgery across the roster. So, we're just talking about in the lens of, okay, they're going to have to trade maybe three players to get Giannis.

[00:12:28]They'll probably still be able to bring in other guys, maybe the trades bigger.

[00:12:32]So, they won't be as light as what we are thinking right now. It But we there's just so many different variables. We don't know what teams would be involved where it's just really hard to envision what the finished product would be. But that would the the Wolves would probably Yeah, they might not be eight deep after, but maybe they're like six, six and a half deep after that. I think if that's the case, you have a like a very strong starting lineup and at least like one guy you could reliably trust off the bench and that's before potential uh you know maybe uh Tan Teran Shannon takes another step, you bring back Jaylen Clark, he makes another step, Yuan Baron, I don't know if you still keep him after this, but you know that's before you factor in maybe some young guys stepping up. I just don't know what the finished product would be after that. It's just one of those things where if it happens, then we'll find out what what else they did to supplement the rest of the roster. Um, but assuming that doesn't happen, I would anticipate they probably, don't get, I don't think they're going to have the best package.

[00:13:34]Uh, what would you prioritize on the roster as far as needs? Cuz I think they've got several. It's going to be hard to get all of them, but how would you go in order? Well, can we I I understand what you're saying from we we can't totally map out a hypothetical trade here. Like absolutely it would be too complicated. There'd be numerous teams involved in a Giannis to to the Timber trade. What I think we can do or the the most we can do is put like somewhat realistic um prices on what Rudy Gobear, Julius Randall, and Jaden McDaniels and Nas Reed could potentially get you in the market, right? And and I think that's the place we have you start talking about this whole Timberwolves off season because if you Yoshi can can make a strong case for me that you know there's going to be a really big market for Rudy Gobear out there in terms of assets coming back then like all right like now we can I think have a more reasonable Giannis conversation. we can have a more Ky like reasonable Kyrie Irving type of situation because you've liquidated Rudy Gobear into into some assets. Um I think that's the first place I would start just kind of given his age and I think he would get you a lot more in liquidation than Julius Randall would of course. Um so I I I think it really starts for me with with Rudy and are you going to trade him or not? Because the needs to your question, I think are very defined by whether or not you have Rudy Gober on this team next season. That will be very defining not only for the defense, but but for how this team plays offense as well.

[00:15:13]Like Rudy has made them a good defense.

[00:15:16]Rudy also forces them to play not five out offense, which might be good for for Anthony Edwards there, too. So, not to derail your outline here, but I think we do need to start by sort of talking about Rudy Gobear and what he could potentially get on the trade market before talking about what what needs are or just or or let's just set one up. Is Rudy on the team or is Rudy not on the team? So to that with Rudy, it's just so it's so tough because when in all likelihood I would imagine that if any trade involving Rudy, you're taking somewhat of a step back at the five, even if it's only temporarily. And that and obviously you'd be getting an upgrade whether it's at the four with a guy like Giannis or if it's like a a better uh creator who could be a a better number two like a Kyrie.

[00:16:08]Uh it's going to be really tough to that's the number one thing that even if you're getting a different big man who maybe could match up a little better with OKC San Antonio. That's the number one question where I I have to imagine you might be take you're at risk of taking somewhat of a step back maybe just for a year. As far as the value, I'm curious to see what the lottery reform ultimately does to uh the trade market because that's still a big question mark. I wrote about it last month where I'm predicting that at least for the time being draft teams are going to be more reluctant to trade multiple draft picks uh as in the current uh the previous CBA and then even in recent years with like the Mikuel Bridges trade, Desmond Bane trade.

[00:16:54]I think now teams are going for the time being not want to trade multiple picks just to see how things go. And so draft picks are I think it's just like a hypothesis I think will be more valuable right now. I so I've written about it. I I don't think the trade market like I I'm not sure we're going to see a lot of trade teams trade multiple first round picks. I'm a little apprehensive they'll get that type of value like two first.

[00:17:23]I don't maybe they could get two first for Go Bear, but I don't know if like it'd be too good first. Maybe one of them is like a lesser value. Maybe one of them is like in the upcoming draft, so we already have clarity and it's maybe not a great one. I've we'll get into the types of trades, but I do get the feeling if you're going to go allin for a guy like Giannis, it would probably take like a majority if not all of the guys you just listed, Randall Gobear, Jaden Nas, plus whatever picks to get the value and then hopefully you have some room left over to bring in some other guys. So trading Rudy is really really tough just because yes, I think you're taking a risk at center afterward, but then also I'm not sure you're going to get enough where it might even be worth moving from him at the end.

[00:18:10]>> Well, that's what I would just say is like to start having Giannis conversations. Everybody wants to do it around Jaden and like, oh, is he on the table? Is he off the table? I think the place to start considering the reality of a Giannis trade to Minnesota comes by understanding what Rudy Gobear can get you on the open market, right? And and if you are of you sound more skeptical on it. I was listening to uh Sam Bassini did his Timberrolls preview pod game theory the other day and he was he was really given a lot of value to to what Rudy Goodair could you know could be liquidated into. I mean, he talked about the Atlanta and the number eight pick along with some other, you know, the number eight pick in this draft and and some other pieces. Like, if we want to give Rudy that value, let's have a Giannis conversation.

[00:19:01]But if if we're not thinking it is of that level, let's not waste our time.

[00:19:07]You know what I'm saying? like the it I think he is the piece that we don't know the value of exactly and the value would need to be high on the market. Um so with your hypothesis I think of of tra picks not being traded I think your hypothesis says that Giannis cannot be acquired by the the Timberwolves this offseason.

[00:19:32]>> I think it's possible. I just don't think we're going to get the I'd be surprised if they could get that type of value. I will say we I do have a Hawks trade. I do think when I was looking for go bear tr shooters, the Hawks did come up, but I did not have them trading the eighth pick. So I I think they could definitely still make a Giannis trade happen, but it's really going to look like a completely different team in my opinion if they end up going through with it.

[00:20:02]Um, so >> you want me to answer your needs question now? That totally derailed us there for a second.

[00:20:09]>> No, no, you I appreciate how much deeper we got on the Giannis stuff. Uh, yeah, go ahead.

[00:20:15]>> Well, okay. So, I think if you do have Rudy and you have not traded him for Giannis, then a huge need for this team is a table setter point guard. Um, a traditional point guard. Uh kind of like when the version of Mike Connley from four years ago when they when they landed him, right? Um I think that's a a number one, not number one, that's just a that's just a primary need uh for this team to be sort of more functional offensively and just overall more functional than they were this this past season. I asked uh Nas Reed about that at end of season interviews. I asked Mike Connley about it at end of season interviews and both of them said I think we need a traditional point guard next season. So I think that is also sort of the internal view of of some of the players who were like all right now this year we didn't have Mike didn't really play and we went the whole season with like Dante SL aunt slash Julius kind of bones Highland Rob Dillingham for a minute. was it was a weird I don't know pile of point guard play this season and none of it really being the classic traditional point guard play and um if you believe Ant is more of a two guard than a one as I do then yeah I think we you for me the biggest need that I'm really looking at aiming at is is getting a traditional point guard the problem is it's 2026 there's just not that many of them in the NBA you know right now who who could fill that role that's the dying breed of player. Um, which is unfortunate if you're the Timberwolves and the supply of them is low, right? Um, that's theoretically going to make the price high or the the player not to be that much in demand and just not that good. So, uh, I I do think I do think that this team needs a needs a point guard and especially if you haven't gone to get Giannis because Giannis would then kind of be your primary initiator alongside Ant. Um, if they haven't gone to get him or Zion or something like that, then I think this team needs a one.

[00:22:20]>> That seems to be 1B. When I look online, see the types of fake trades people are putting out there. If we're if you don't get Giannis and ideally he'd be your one SL your first slash second option 1 A1B with Ant, then that's the other thing you're accomplishing. You're getting you're upgrading your who's your who are your top options. So, I'm with a getting a creator, someone who can actually be a traditional point guard. I'm also interested if maybe that guy can be an upgrade as your second option as well.

[00:22:53]And there's some guys that make some sense where last year, and I'm not advocating for this at all, but I'm just as an example of like the type of trade people were putting out there when John Moran was available. Like, if he was who he was three, four years ago, then okay, that actually could make a lot of sense.

[00:23:11]But now like I've seen names like Kyrie Irving for example which definitely is more attainable actually I think would be a much better fit. Um, then there's also like in that same vein, but a tier lower, maybe a couple tiers lower, there's Tyler Hero, where maybe if the Bucks don't want him as part of a Giannis trade involving Miami, maybe the Wolves can get involved there and maybe if it doesn't really cost them much in the in the form of draft picks, mainly just the salary, whatever, whoever that might be. There's something there that I maybe could make some sense. So I would say there is that is a much more attainable thing and I think with guards the time and time again I'm one of the things I've been saying on the podcast is the guard market I think is the guard position is one of the more saturated ones to the point that I wouldn't be surprised if we see some very interesting names on the free agency market. Like just as an example, we got guys like uh Anthony Simons. Um just uh like I guess I would assume who's kind of there as well, Colin Ston.

[00:24:17]M guys that you would think you know these guys are worth more than the mid-level. Maybe the market kind of limits them to that amount. And if that's happening, then what does that mean for guards that are actually on the trade market? How much could they go for? So I'm I'm a little more optimistic there that the Wolves can actually get a good target there. Someone that I really feels or need might actually fit their cap sheet a little more given all their other challenges and doesn't require too much valuewise where maybe they still have some chips left over to do something later. So I would anticipate that this is probably the best time to do that type of move. And obviously part of it now unfortunately is with Dante Danchenzo's injury. There's probably going to be a little more urgency now to address guard, but maybe they also just do a stop gap option. Uh they could maybe find somebody with the tax mid-level, that $6 million amount. But as far as getting like that table setter guard you're talking about, I I think that is very attainable. Now, >> I I would just say it's it's about a table setter guard who also plays defense, which I know is even thinning the pool a lot more. There's not a lot of small guards who also >> Hero does not have that. Yeah, >> that's what I'm saying. Yeah. So, I again I I don't know. I think to me, I know we're going to talk about Kyrie later probably, but uh at least he would in theory check the table setter boxes.

[00:25:47]so well um that that would probably exceed the bar for me. Um but but like another good point guard but doesn't really play defense. I think you end up getting into this situation where you go like all right there are starting one next to Ant, but here we are come playoff time that guard is being attacked defensively and now we're just playing Io Dumu next to Ant in the back court again. And there you are without the table setter that you that you needed. I mean, part of this is maybe IO can impress me and take a a step there, but I don't really it would be the dream if IO could be this table setter point guard that we're talking about because he is going to be able to defend at at that level that we're talking about. Um, but I don't know, maybe like a half measure is just getting a point guard. Um, that is sort of the stop gap mold and then you're sort of like matchup dependent playing that guard versus IO um as as your one there. Uh, I don't know. I don't know. I guess the market will determine which of those two paths that they ultimately end up taking. Yeah, then that's a good point where at the same time maybe the Wolves want to be careful about whether they go after someone who's like more on the expensive side that might cost a lot of assets because yeah, they also have Iodunu. They they have they have a lot of like a very versatile lineup that might not like you might end up closing with this guard whoever you bring in. So that would be the other element. Maybe you don't need to get like a $40 million guy like Irving. Maybe you could get away with like a 20-ish million dollar guy where okay, if he's not clothing depending on the matchup, that's that's okay. You could live with that. Uh so we'll see.

[00:27:37]>> That's our version of Nas Reed, you know, where like he's very helpful during the game. You're like, "Oh, he's probably he's a starter caliber player, but he doesn't close." You know, like they all would always close with Randall and Gopair.

[00:27:48]>> Um I don't know that level of is that Dejante Murray, you know, something like that. If Tyler Herro was making like $10 million less, okay, then I guess he's kind of that. But that Yeah, it's a little too He's a little too on the expensive side where I I think that'll be tough to not close with a guy like that. Uh I think the Jonte Murray, I haven't really seen if how he is defensively, how he's held up there, but like a little more attainable. We'll get into some Pelicans trade. I know you have some ideas for a Pelicans trade, but he's like a guy maybe I could kind of see, but I don't know. Just maybe makes a little too much money to not close as well. Uh, yeah.

[00:28:29]>> It's tough, man. It's tough.

[00:28:30]>> Yeah.

[00:28:31]>> Yeah.

[00:28:32]>> A lot of point guard options.

[00:28:34]>> Anything else before we get into the mock off season?

[00:28:36]>> No, I mean I I think we're I think we'll answer a lot more dig into a lot more of this in the mock off season.

[00:28:42]>> All right, guys. So, that was part one of our discussion. Stick around for part two that's coming up soon where we're going to get into the mockoff season and put some of these ideas into an actual roster. see how what the market is for some of their guys and see what the Wolves can accomplish within their salary cap limitations.