Things are still settling in the wake of the seismic shift that occurred under the walls of the Timberwolves’ practice facility after a deal was struck to send Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick.

Part of Minnesota’s thinking with the move was indeed to create future flexibility in years to come as it aims to consistently put a team together year after year around Anthony Edwards that’s capable of contending for a championship. The Wolves are now better positioned to be nimble within that pursuit in future offseasons.

But are they any worse off in the now? It’s natural for the instant gut reaction to be a “Yes.” Karl-Anthony Towns has become a perennial all-star. He was Minnesota’s second most-talented player. Surely, losing him has to be a blow.

But the sportsbook odds for the Timberwolves to win the title actually dipped from 11-to-1 pre-trade to 10-to-1 after the deal was reported. Why? Here’s a look at where Minnesota’s roster and rotation potentially stands now, and where the Wolves may have improved.

GUARDS: Mike Conley is still the starting point guard. And Rob Dillingham was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the draft over the summer to be Conley’s heir apparent. But Dillingham is 19 years old and, ideally, teenagers aren’t major contributors for title contenders. The addition of DiVincenzo bolsters Minnesota’s wing depth and adds another player capable of serving as a secondary playmaker.

The extra wing allows for lineups where Minnesota can likely run out Edwards or Nickeil Alexander-Walker as the “point guard,” knowing it can still have plenty of ball handling, playmaking and shooting around the non-traditional floor general to make those lineups work better.

Dillingham can perhaps then be brought along at a slower pace — should that prove beneficial — with a smaller workload.

WINGS: The Boston Celtics’ dominance last season reenforced the “wings win” narrative that’s taken over the NBA. Well, Minnesota continues to add to its arsenal in that regard, as well. In Edwards, Alexander-Walker, DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota now has four starting-caliber wings, who could all even be featured in lineups together that would prove difficult for opponents to match up against.  McDaniels seeing a few minutes at power forward is something Minnesota could at least explore as the season wears on.

And that’s not even mentioning veteran Joe Ingles and rookie Terrence Shannon Jr., who will likely see situational action and could be more heavily leaned upon when injuries inevitably strike. Like Dillingham, Shannon’s opportunities likely dipped with the acquisition of DiVincenzo, who should hover around 30 minutes per game, even off the bench, but that’s generally life for a rookie playing for a top-tier team.

BIGS: Minnesota doesn’t lose much in terms of depth. The Knicks needed Towns because of the uncertainty of their center position. He will slot into his natural position for New York at the five spot. Minnesota still has Rudy Gobert anchoring the starting center position. Julius Randle will likely start at the power forward spot, assuming the shoulder injury that ended his 2023-24 campaign early is completely healthy, with reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Naz Reid, again coming off the bench.

But those three each feature varying skill sets, allowing for Minnesota to pick and choose when to employ each of the bigs depending on the looks it wants to give opponents. Riding Randle or Reid could also be a hot-hand scenario on any given night, with a Luka Garza insurance policy lurking deeper down the bench.

POTENTIAL ROTATION

Here’s an estimation for potential minute loads to open the season, assuming Randle is healthy:

STARTERS

Mike Conley: 28 minutes

Anthony Edwards: 36 minutes

Jaden McDaniels: 34 minutes

Julius Randle: 28 minutes

Rudy Gobert: 30 minutes

RESERVES

Donte DiVincenzo: 30 minutes

Naz Reid: 26 minutes

Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 20 minutes

Rob Dillingham: 8 minutes

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Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb

As we enter the final stage of election season, the economy is a top issue for Americans. Voters consistently list rising prices for energy, food, and housing as among their top concerns.

As a result, for many Americans retirement can feel like it’s a lifetime away. To understand what’s driving this pessimism, Wealth Enhancement Group recently conducted a Retirement Lifestyle Survey in partnership with Wakefield Research, a leading consumer research firm.* One of the survey’s top takeaways is that people perceive that inflation will delay their retirement goals by 8+ years, on average.

For the more than half (55%) of survey respondents who have not retired, inflation fears have set back their retirement goals. In addition, despite 48% of respondents saying that they are doing “everything right,” 80% fear retirement is out of reach. Furthermore, 79% of working Americans believe they would need a financial windfall to be able to retire comfortably (with 23% of that number saying it would need to be a “massive” one).

Inflation remains a top concern, despite the data

“Persistent inflation” (at 39% in the survey) and “rising costs” (37%) were cited by respondents as top reasons they doubt they’ll have enough savings to retire comfortably. The fact is, inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index eased to new three-year lows in August, climbing to 2.5% according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This is very close to the Fed’s long-term target of 2%. This means prices are still rising, just at a slower pace.

The problem for most people is that perceptions of food and energy prices (the most volatile components in consumer prices) have remained high along with shelter inflation (that is, rent or housing costs). This has been the case even as the U.S. economy has cooled following the pandemic when employers struggled to hire enough workers to reopen their businesses.

Consequently, it doesn’t feel like prices have budged for most people, even if the technical measures of inflation have come down a lot. Core inflation, a measure that excludes food and energy costs, held steady at 3.2% in August. Because these year-over-year increases compound earlier inflation, which was much higher, household budgets have been stretched and contribute to the strain that many Americans are feeling.

Structural reasons are contributing to persistently higher prices for food, energy, and housing that may also be eroding investors’ confidence in their ability to retire on time.

• Food costs: Even as cost increases for food slowed in August, prices have not dropped enough to change shoppers’ feelings about food costs. Part of the problem is that there’s little to no competition across the entire food supply chain. According to Farm Action, a nonprofit that researches corporate concentrations in agribusiness, just four companies control most of the nation’s food industries, including cottonseed used in cooking oils and as a feed supplement, beef processing, corn seed, and soybean crushing.

• Energy prices and transportation costs: The prices of used vehicles and energy were cheaper in August than they were in July, according to Labor Department data. An intensifying selloff in oil markets suggests that prices that consumers pay at the pump may decline in the next month or two. A gallon of gas cost an average $3.39 in August, down nearly 12% from a year earlier, according to the Energy Information Administration. Gas prices slid still further in September, with national prices averaging $3.25 a gallon as of Sept. 11, according to AAA.

As the economy has cooled, and commuting patterns have shifted, Americans are using less gas. But we also need to remember that, in 2019 (the latest available reliable data), more than two-thirds of energy was produced by six global corporations, according to Global Witness, an environmental advocacy nonprofit. With such a concentration of ownership, many observers are calling out price coordination as an inflation threat.

• Rents and mortgage rates could be easing: Many analysts think that housing inflation could follow the trajectory of general consumer prices, as renters sign new leases and policymakers contemplate cutting regulations that have constricted supply. Many multifamily homebuilders slowed their activity following the 2008-09 global financial crisis, and the problem has been made worse by restrictive local zoning rules and higher interest rates.

For consumers to see meaningful reductions in food, energy, and housing costs, more competition is needed and, in our view, should be encouraged at the policy level. But investors also need to remember that inflation is nothing we can directly control.

Long-term planning is essential

The best way to manage inflation and keep pace with rising costs is to have a long-term financial plan and to make sure your investment portfolio is appropriately diversified and includes asset classes that can outpace inflation, such as common stocks, commodities, inflation-protected securities, and so on. In addition, where possible, investors who are concerned about a retirement funding shortfall need to either (1) save more, (2) cut personal spending, (3) plan to work longer, or (4) add to their income through a side hustle.

There are two additional survey takeaways that bear mentioning: The first is the nearly 80% of respondents who said they would need a financial windfall to be able to retire comfortably. In our view, American expectations for a windfall need a serious reality check. A 2023 article reported that a little more than 1 in 5 Americans (20%) had received an inheritance at some point in their lives, as of 2022. The average American’s inheritance was $58,000 (including that 80% who inherited $0), and for the lucky few who inherited more than $0, the average was $266,000. So most of us should not expect a massive windfall to fuel our retirement plan.

The other point from the survey, and one of its few silver linings, is that most people are taking concrete steps to plan for their retirement. These activities include setting aside more money each month (32%), keeping a detailed budget (29%), creating an emergency plan (28%), and setting aside money to devote to travel and other experiences (25%). However, most investors may be shortchanging their long-term security by going it alone, as just 19% of respondents regularly meet with a financial adviser to discuss their retirement plan. A longstanding research study from mutual fund firm Vanguard confirms that financial advisers can add value, depending on a client’s circumstances.

Areas where advisers may add the most value include (among others) setting suitable asset allocation targets, implementing cost-effective strategies (at lower expense ratios), rebalancing portfolios, and helping investors remain disciplined when markets become volatile.

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The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

* The Wealth Enhancement study was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+, in July 2024, using an email invitation and an online survey. Data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+.

Bruce Helmer and Peg Webb are financial advisers at Wealth Enhancement Group and co-hosts of “Your Money” on WCCO 830 AM on Sunday mornings. Email Bruce and Peg at yourmoney@wealthenhancement.com. Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Wealth Enhancement Group and Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services are separate entities from LPL Financial.

 

The Lynx’s current brand of play is awfully appealing to those who simply love the game of basketball.

They pass, cut and space on offense, carrying out the age-old adage of sacrificing a good shot for a great one.

Defensively, they bust their tails to grind out every single possession.

The combination of the two sides of the ball make the Lynx, who open their WNBA best-of-5 semifinal series against Connecticut on Sunday at Target Center, one of the best teams in the league and a true championship contender.

Surely, Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve walks into the facility every morning with a smile on her face, knowing what’s about to play out in front of her. Creating such camaraderie and unselfishness anywhere — let alone within a professional sports team — is no easy feat.

But the task does get exponentially easier when your best player is Napheesa Collier.

The all-world forward was historically good in Minnesota’s two-game first-round playoff sweep of Phoenix. She dropped 38 points in Game 1, and followed it up with 42 in Game 2. The latter tied a WNBA playoff record. The combination of the two set a new league high for a multi-game scoring output in the postseason.

“She’s insane. Y’all been watching?” Lynx guard Courtney Williams asked. “She’s been going crazy. She’s been making history, man.”

The craziest thing about her performances are how ho-hum they appear to be in real time. Reeve is never thinking about the numbers during the game. She’s constantly occupied with what’s playing out in front of her and what should come next. But even the coach caught herself peeking up at the scoreboard in the first half of Game 2 against Phoenix and seeing Collier had already accrued 22 points.

Not too shabby. But it is one of those things you’ll only realize in the moment if it’s shoved in your face. Because it’s not as though Collier’s scoring bursts come via Steph Curry-like shot-making in which she’s pulling up from wild spots on the court or chucking up circus shots over multiple defenders.

No, her excellence is rooted in great positioning, timing and execution. Heading into each game, Reeve said Collier knows the matchup and how she’ll attack it.

“She’s like an amoeba that, if they’re going to let her be in the paint, then she’s going to find herself in the paint. she’s going to screen, she’s going to roll,” Reeve said. “If the paint is going to be more difficult, she understands how to play in movement and  be on the perimeter. And then shoot the basketball. She’s shooting the three well. She just finds different ways to impact the game based on what’s dictated.”

The game could dictate that she relentlessly attacks the paint for 30 points. Perhaps she has to let it rip on five triples. Or maybe Collier has to make a few sacrificial cuts and keep the ball moving to the next teammate. Whatever the case may be, it’s fine with her. Even after scoring those record-tying 42 points, Collier insisted she was merely on the receiving end of great ball movement from her teammates.

“I’m just playing for my team. I’m trying to win a game. I’m trying to take advantage of what the defense is giving me,” she said. “It’s not even like I’m going out there with a point goal in my head. I’m just trying to win the game. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters to me. That stuff is really cool, but if you’re not winning, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, all I’m focusing on is making it to the next round, winning our next game.”

The actions back up the words. Collier is willing to do whatever is required for the Lynx to succeed. In the playoffs, that can often mean playing every second of the 40-minute game, putting in maximum exertion throughout and serving as the best player on both ends of the court. And, when it’s all said and done, not caring if she gets any of the credit for her efforts.

But it’s clear she’s the head of the snake. Because the Lynx’s best player moves the ball and makes the right play as the epicenter of the offense, her teammates follow suit. A Collier-centric offensive approach was first featured in the bubble season, when a number of her teammates then had career years — likely stemming from Collier’s presence and decision-making — that would never again be replicated. Minnesota shifted back toward that direction a year ago and has held true to the approach this season, now armed with better personnel to maximize the 6-foot-1 forward’s impact.

On the other end, because Collier defends every possession with a rabid tenacity, everyone else falls in line.

Collier is both one of the two or three best players in the WNBA, and also not above any responsibility on the court. The Lynx are better for it.

Reeve noted Collier’s achievements, which get loftier with each passing day, are not a surprise. This was the stratosphere to which her collegiate success at UConn suggested she one day could ascend.

But, Reeve noted, Collier has “earned” all the flowers that have been tossed her way.

“Just the evolution of Phee, every time she plays,” Reeve said. “The humility, she understands the game, she listens.”

And, in turn, she grows and evolves, and makes sure those around her are doing the same.