The Biggest Winners and Losers From Timberwolves' Busy Offseason

With Ball now in the fold, Edwards will surely be able to spend more energy on the defensive side of the ball and work with one of the best playmakers in the league. It also allows him to do more of what he is best at offensively: catching and shooting.

Out of all players that took at least 50 catch-and-shoot three point attempts last season, Edwards posted the best percentage mark in the league with an astounding 49.3%.

Chris Finch

Chris Finch will no longer need to openly harp on his team to play with pace. While they finished 12th in pace last season, their best mark in more than two seasons, it looked sloppy times with plenty of turnover-laden basketball.

With Ball now in the fold, those problems go away. With Ball on the floor, the Charlotte Hornets played one possession faster per 48 minutes, and turned the ball over three less times in that time frame.

Playing faster and turning the ball over less are two things that were called for by Finch numerous times last season. Now Finch has an offensive driver that plainly put is the most dynamic he's had during his time in Minnesota.

Julius Randle

It just never fully clicked in Minnesota for Julius Randle.

Even when he would have a playoff series like he did against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024-25, a 40-point game against Portland before the All-Star break this season, or the flashes of brilliance in driving the offense, it never got completely put together to the point where things felt like they were on solid ground.

There were handfuls of times over Randle's tenure in Minnesota where he was visibly frustrated. Leaving the locker room early, visibly quiet or upset at his team that evening, all culminating in his absence from exit interviews this past season. Something snapped at the trade deadline and became irreparable, boiling over in the postseason.

The Wolves now find themselves with a more ideal running mate for Anthony Edwards in Ball, and Randle finds himself back in New York. No playoff expectations, anything he does positively being gravy for a team that desperately needs something.

He's set to earn more than $30 million dollars over the next two seasons, should he opt into his player option, and will run next to a more catch-and-shoot option in Michael Porter Jr., as opposed to playing isolation tug-of-war with Anthony Edwards. It may not be a win from an overall basketball perspective, but it fits what Randle may be looking for more.

Losers

Jaden McDaniels

There's no question that Jaden McDaniels will be an extremely good player for the Wolves this season. He's just going to be playing a very different role than what he's used to.

Coming off of his best season in which he broke out in the playoffs, the Wolves' all-defensive wing stopper was up to his usual hijinx: defending the best perimeter player on the opposing team, averaging a career best 14.8 points, and hitting a career best 41% of his three pointers, something that's been a work in progress throughout his career.

There's a world in which he thrives at the power forward spot, with the Wolves using the spacing he provides to spread teams out, and his defensive chops carrying over to guarding bigger players on a nightly basis.

But stronger players like Luka Dončić and Zion Williamson have given him issues previously, while his length in bouncing off of players gives him his true advantage in defending perimeter players. There is not doubt that McDaniels will be an overly positive contributor, but is he really going to be playing in the optimal place for what he does on the floor? That remains to be seen.

Him and Naz Reid were also extremely close. A tough break all around.

Donte DiVincenzo

"Loser" is used lightly here because of the unimaginable rehab process DiVincenzo is going through.

But man, he would fit like a glove immediately on this team. They'll focus on a fast-paced, shoot-at-will aprooach, and he'd be able to move back off of the ball as opposed to the faux point guard role he shouldered last season.

The reality is that while DiVincenzo may come back this season, he likely isn't going to be the guard we saw come into his own in Minnesota last campaign. He shot at more volume, and was finding his voice more as a scrappy guard not afraid to make winning plays.

Not only is this team going to miss that specific trait this season (it's hard to look at the possible rotation and see someone willing to mix it up and dive for loose balls), but DiVincenzo's style of play could help Chris Finch find some awesome three guard combos alongside Ball and Edwards.

Pair all of that up with the former Knick being in a contract year, and it shapes up for a massive "what could have been." The hope in the longrun, is that it all works out better for him and the Wolves as long-term partners.