The Minnesota Timberwolves are due for a busy offseason after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals in five games. There are players who will need new contracts, which has ESPN’s Brian Windhorst presenting concern towards their overall roster for next season.
Minnesota’s last two seasons have been successful, making deep playoff runs. This marked the franchise’s best stretch in the postseason since the early 2000s, emphasizing the importance of their rise in the Western Conference.
However, they haven’t been able to get over the hump that is the West Finals. The Timberwolves lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games in 2023. He then lost in five games again this year, but this time to the Thunder. They boast the talent and depth to reach that stage of the playoffs but haven’t had the poise and discipline to advance to the NBA Finals.
Windhorst appeared on a May 29 edition of ESPN’s “Pardon My Take,” which is where he provided his outlook on the Timberwolves’ roster. He specified Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as the three players to keep an eye on throughout the offseason.
âWell I donât think they can keep this team together. The core they can but⦠so Julius Randleâs a free agent. Nickeil Alexander Walker is a free agent and Naz Reid is a free agent. He has an opt out which Iâm sure heâs going to take. Antâs contract is very large⦠I would be surprised if they were able to re-sign all three guys,â Windhorst said.
What Lies Ahead for Timberwolves
GettyJulius Randle during Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder on May 28, 2025.
Brian Windhorst would be right to question whether the Timberwolves can maintain their depth, especially with Anthony Edwards commanding a huge contract.
Both Julius Randle and Naz Reid have player options they can accept or decline for the 2025-26 NBA season. Randle will earn $30.9 million if he wants to stay with Minnesota. Meanwhile, Reid would make just over $15 million for next season.
Alexander-Walker has no options for his contract as he will be an unrestricted free agent. He would garner plenty of suitors as his 3-point shooting and perimeter defense would prove to be valuable to other playoff contenders aside from Minnesota.
Randle is coming off a solid season with the Timberwolves after they acquired him from the New York Knicks in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns. He averaged 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game after 69 regular-season appearances. The three-time All-Star elevated his form in the playoffs. He averaged 21.7 points and 5.9 rebounds as it turned out to be the best postseason of his career.
Reid had a positive campaign as he was coming off of winning the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year. He produced 14.2 points and six rebounds in 80 contests throughout the regular season. In the postseason, he had 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Alexander-Walker played the entire regular season, putting up 9.4 points and 3.2 rebounds on 38.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Throughout the playoffs, he provided 8.3 points and 2.3 assists on 34.9% shooting from downtown.
It will be an intriguing offseason for the Timberwolves. They are close to reaching the NBA Finals, but it’s clear they need more pieces to get to that stage. How they will manage the supporting cast around Edwards will be worth keeping tabs on.
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