The NBA trade deadline is Thursday afternoon, and Minnesota is expected to be in the mix between now and then amid the league-wide player movement frenzy.
Whether any such move is big or small in relative scope remains to be seen.
It is worth remembering Minnesota has been in the past two Western Conference Finals – it’s the only team in the West to reach consecutive conference finals since 2020. The Wolves’ front office does believe if you reach that point, you are a title contender.
Minnesota entered Monday’s slate seeded fifth in the conference’s playoff picture, just two and a half games out of the No. 2 spot.
With all that in mind, weighty decisions face basketball boss Tim Connelly and Co. over the next few days, as Minnesota must consider whether a seismic shakeup to a productive core is wise or foolish. And if tinkering is the proper path, what tiny maneuver could push the Timberwolves over the top?
The big swing
The Timberwolves remain firmly in the public conversation centered on a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.
But Minnesota doesn’t have the draft capital the likes of, say, a Golden State possesses in negotiations. So a Wolves package would be built around current players.
It’s impossible to forecast a trade that wouldn’t feature talented two-way wing Jaden McDaniels going out to bring in Antetokounmpo – a top-three player in the NBA at the peak of his powers. Julius Randle and/or Naz Reid may need to be included, as well.
The result of such a deal, which would pair Edwards and Antetokounmpo as the NBA’s clear top tandem, would also require an on-the-fly restructuring of Minnesota’s entire roster.
Such all-in moves can result in championships, but they can also fly directly in the face of a franchise.
Connelly has proven to not be risk averse during his time in Minnesota, but this certainly would be a massive swing with numerous long-term implications.
A seventh man
Minnesota’s starting lineup has been effective for most of the season. But the bench production outside of Naz Reid – the frontrunner to win a second Sixth Man of the Year trophy – is hit or miss.
Bones Hyland has shown flashes, but he remains inconsistent on both ends of the floor. Mike Conley has struggled to score, and the tolls of an 82-game season weigh physically on the 38-year-old. Jaylen Clark’s defense is enticing, but his offense remains a hindrance. Terrence Shannon Jr. hasn’t panned out when healthy, and Rob Dillingham is out of the rotation entirely.
No team is stacked one through 10, but Minnesota doesn’t have a surefire seventh man it can consistently rely on behind its five starters and Reid.
That could be a point guard, sure. But could just as easily be a guard/wing combo player. Anyone who could provide more consistent offensive production while – perhaps more importantly – seamlessly fitting into the team’s desired defensive identity could increase confidence in the team’s rotation as a whole to go pound for pound with the best of the West for three consecutive playoff rounds.
The Nickeil Alexander-Walker archetype doesn’t grow on trees, but Minnesota’s rotation is missing exactly that type of player.
Of the names realistically available mentioned in connection with Minnesota, Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu may best fit the bill.
Veteran center
A rim protecting center who could patrol the paint during the non-Rudy Gobert minutes looked like a must add earlier in the season, but rookie big man Joan Beringer’s aptitude in limited opportunities of late have quelled much of that concern.
Should Minnesota face a bigger front or need additional defensive resistance when its starting center is off the floor, Beringer looks to be at least as good of a solution as anything the Timberwolves would find available on the trade market.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 13: Joan Beringer #19 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on January 13, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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