Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Timberwolves Earn Surprising Power Ranking Spot After NBA Finals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Couden | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 2:49 PM ET

By now, fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves know the painful narrative. The team has a talented squad featuring rising star Anthony Edwards, but has been unable to advance past the NBA Western Conference Finals the past two seasons.

In this year's series, they lost to the eventual champions, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Previously, it was to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Both times, the series ended 4-1.

Within the past few days, Minnesota has seen two-time champion Kevin Durant leave for the Houston Rockets. That seemingly upgrades the Rockets, who were already a No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this past playoffs.

With the offseason officially here, the NBA Draft is next on the slate for the Timberwolves. In addition, they'll look at potential roster moves, including trades and free agents.

While that has raised some uncertainty about the team's future, an ESPN panel of expert analysts still gave the Wolves a significant spot in their "way too early" power rankings. The rankings spotlight how they view the league's teams following the NBA Finals ahead of next season.

The ESPN power rankings show Minnesota at No. 2 right behind this year's NBA Champions. The Timberwolves were previously ranked No. 11 in their power rankings.

They mention the team’s No. 17 and No. 31 picks at this year’s NBA Draft, and that they face crucial roster decisions with Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Nikeil Alexander-Walker. While ESPN doesn't mention it, some also speculate that the Wolves could upgrade their star point guard with Mike Conley near the tail end of his career.

Interestingly, Minnesota's power ranking spot doesn't line up with where they rank for odds to win the 2025-26 NBA Finals.

According to Sports Illustrated, the Thunder sit atop the recent NBA odds to win next year’s championship at +220, followed by the Cavaliers at +850. After yesterday's trade news, the Rockets surged to +900 odds, ahead of the Knicks at +950, and the Timberwolves at +1400.

While the Durant trade to Houston strongly impacted these odds, it remains to be seen if KD is the answer for the Rockets. Meanwhile, the Wolves still have Ant-Man ascending the ranks of top stars in the league, along with talented players around him.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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