5 questions facing Wolves after another Western Conference finals defeat

Back-to-back appearances in the Western Conference finals. Back-to-back losses in five games.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were once again watching their opponent celebrate a trip to the NBA Finals Wednesday night after getting blown out 124-94 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals in OKC. The Thunder secured a 4-1 series victory and will keep playing basketball, while the Wolves will begin offseason planning.

There will be no shortage of questions facing the Wolves entering the offseason. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly will be forced to make some decisions with players due for free agency, and all while trying to find a way to get Minnesota over the hump. The NBA draft is less than a month away. And there are other questions up and down the roster.

Here is a look at five questions facing the Wolves after another Western Conference finals defeat:

Can the Wolves retain key free agents?

Three of Minnesota's top eight could be heading for free agency this offseason. Julius Randle and Naz Reid each have player options for next year, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker will become an unrestricted free agent. Whether the Wolves will be able to — and want to — retain that trio next season will be the most pressing question heading into the offseason.

Randle has a player option worth around $31 million, and it's unclear whether he'll opt in or elect for free agency. At one point, it seemed a player of Randle's caliber could easily command a larger salary, but under the new collective bargaining agreement, that's no longer a given. Randle averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game this season, and had moments of brilliance in the playoffs. But eclipsing the second apron of the luxury tax comes with crippling penalties.

Randle's decision whether or not to opt in next season will be the first domino to fall, and if he chooses to opt out, the Timberwolves will have to decide whether to re-sign him or let him walk just a year after acquiring him for a hefty price.

On the other hand, it's pretty much a given that Reid will opt out of his player option for 2025-26, which, at $15 million, is well under his market value. The Wolves have signaled pretty explicitly that they'll look to re-sign Reid, and the question becomes how much he can command on the open market and how that impacts them alongside a potential Randle deal.

Alexander-Walker appears most likely to be the odd man out. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is due for a significant raise on the $4.3 million he made this season. It seems unlikely the Wolves will find a way to re-sign all of Alexander-Walker, Reid and Randle, and stay under the second apron of the luxury tax. Minnesota has young wing players in Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannon Jr. who can play minutes right away, but no such young depth in the frontcourt.

Will Connelly look to make a trade?

Connelly hasn't been afraid to make big swings since taking over as president of basketball operations in Minnesota. From sending a massive package for Rudy Gobert to flipping D'Angelo Russell for Mike Conley and Alexander-Walker to the stunning trade of Karl-Anthony Towns for Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, Connelly has made many significant moves.

So after coming up short in the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive season, could another big move be in order? The Thunder are the youngest team in the NBA; they aren't going anywhere. The rest of the West will be looking to improve this offseason, too. There were reports the Wolves contacted the Phoenix Suns about trading for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline; could Connelly revisit that this offseason? Or is there another big name on the block?

Perhaps the conference finals loss brings the motivation to make a big move this offseason.

What will the Wolves do in the draft?

Minnesota heads into June's NBA draft with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round via the Detroit Pistons and the No. 31 overall pick in the second round via the Utah Jazz, and it will be interesting to see how the Wolves utilize those selections.

The Wolves have plenty of intriguing young talent on the roster — Shannon, Clark, Rob Dillingham, Josh Minott, Leonard Miller — and a roster built to compete in the now. Will those draft picks be used as a trade chip for a player like Durant? Or will Connelly identify an asset in the draft that could be a piece for now and the future that helps them get over the hump?

What's Mike Conley's future?

Anthony Edwards noted after the Game 5 loss that his biggest disappointment was not getting over the hump for Conley, and that he'll work hard to do that for Conley next year. But will there be another year for Conley, and if so, what will his role be entering his 19th NBA season? Conley will turn 38 at the start of the 2025-26 season, far from a youngster for the NBA.

Now, Conley hasn't indicated he's opting for retirement, and he is under contract for next season, but his NBA career will be coming to a close in the not-too-distant future. And Conley's production did drop off in 2024-25. He averaged fewer points, assists and rebounds than the year prior while shooting worse from the field, 3-point range and the free-throw line.

Conley also played fewer games and minutes, and if Conley does in fact return for his 19th season, could he see his role diminished even further? On the one hand, coach Chris Finch at one point this season turned to DiVincenzo over Conley in the starting lineup, and DiVincenzo and Alexander-Walker both played more minutes than him all year. On the other hand, the Timberwolves often looked lost offensively without Conley on the floor, particularly so in the conference finals.

And Minnesota doesn't have a true point guard on the roster outside Conley and Dillingham, who doesn't appear ready to take over that role. What Conley's role might be and Minnesota's immediate future at point guard are partly in question.

What will it take to get over the hump?

After back-to-back losses in the conference finals, one has to wonder what it'll take the Wolves to get over the hump.

Do they need to shake things up with another big trade? Could a small addition make a big difference? Should the Wolves simply build on this year's run and rely on continuity leading to improvement? Will young players currently on the roster take a big leap this offseason push them over the edge? Edwards, who's been the driver to get them there the last two seasons, is just 23 and hasn't entered his prime; is it as simple as waiting on his continued improvement and maturation?

Those are questions Connelly will have to answer, and perhaps it's multiple answers, perhaps it's none. In any respect, the offseason for Connelly and the Wolves started Wednesday night, and we'll have to wait and see this summer what's next.

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