The Timberwolves are about a week removed from finishing their most successful season in 20 years and reaching the Western Conference finals for just the second time in franchise history.
Seven of their top eight rotation players are under contract for at least 2024-25, and the Western Conference should be winnable for any number of teams next season.
The easy answer to how they approach the offseason is this: run it back. Don’t fiddle with the core pieces of a roster that won 56 games and two playoff series. Work around the margins to shore up a couple of deficiencies, making a hard decision or two on non-starters, but otherwise resist the urge to do anything dramatic.
In sports, though, the easy answer isn’t always the right answer. The Wolves’ offseason is a little more complicated — enough so that it is worth putting together a list of pros and cons for trying next season to replicate (or hopefully exceed) this year’s results.
The case for running it back
*President Tim Connelly reportedly restructured his contract to move an opt-out clause down the road a year, as I talked about on Wednesday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
Connelly showed tremendous patience last year with the Wolves in keeping the roster intact, and he preached patience during his time in Denver — culminating in a cohesive roster that won an NBA title after he departed. He’s a big believer in continuity, and the results have followed.
*The Wolves still have young core players who should be ascending. Anthony Edwards took a big step this year, but he should have another gear or two. Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid can improve, too. There is reason to believe the Wolves can exceed this year’s accomplishments just from internal improvement.
