Minnesota Timberwolves: Season Overview Heading Into 2026
Newsweek · C · trust 33/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. They say Minnesota is a beautiful place in October.
That's shaping up to be the case when the NBA season starts this fall.
The Minnesota Timberwolves decided they weren't going to simply run it back this time. After reaching the Western Conference finals twice in the past three seasons, Minnesota had built something real. The defense was tough, Anthony Edwards had become a star and the team looked like it belonged near the top of the West. But instead of making minor adjustments, the Wolves made one of the boldest moves of the offseason by bringing in LaMelo Ball.
It's a huge statement. What will it bring for the team?
Ball has never lacked talent. The 6-foot-7 guard has one of the most creative passing games in the NBA, and his ability to make shots from deep forces defenses to respect him all over the floor. When he's playing with confidence, Ball can completely change the pace of a game. The question is whether everything else falls into place.
Minnesota isn't adding Ball to a rebuilding team. He's joining a group that expects to compete, and he'll be asked to make winning plays while fitting into a system that has been built around defense and discipline. His talent is obvious, but the Wolves will need consistency from him every single night.
The trade also meant saying goodbye to several important pieces. It was a lot.
Randle and Reid were a major part of what Minnesota built over the last few seasons, and losing both changes the look of the roster. Anderson and Conley are out. Green and rookie Isaiah Evans give Minnesota some fresh faces, but the real focus will be on how Ball adjusts to playing alongside Edwards and the rest of the team's core. The talent is obvious. Now it's about figuring out if all of these pieces can actually fit together.
Edwards is definitely still at the center of it all, and pairing his scoring ability with Ball's playmaking could give Minnesota one of the more dangerous offensive duos in the league. Behind them, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels give the team the defensive foundation it has relied on for years.
There’s a lot to like about the talent. Now comes the hard part: making it actually work.
The Timberwolves are betting that Ball can bring a new level of creativity without taking away from the toughness that made them successful. If the chemistry comes together, Minnesota could be one of the most difficult teams to deal with in the West.
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