All Things 2025-2026 Minnesota Timberwolves Offseason Thread

Slim Tubby said:

From the very little I've seen of Rocco, he doesn't move nearly well enough to hang with NBA PFs but I could see him playing C with Beringer at PF next to him.

We've got approximately $33M in salary room to take back a quality PF in another trade as long as it's rolled into the original Randle trade prior to July 6th when it becomes official. I'm sure Connelly is still working the phones hard but his trade assets are very depleted at this point.

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I'm pretty sure that the $33M was rolled into the Ball trade. The wolves have the $6M bi-annual trade exception and about $14M for five roster spots before they hit the second apron. They aren't going to get a decent PF unless they trade somebody else. That's why I suggested Rocco. You are correct that he's slow. If they put Beringer at the four, his shooting range is about a foot further than Rudy's. Not many decent options.

jamiche said:

My overall sense of the situation at Target Center is the last few moves by Connelly have been scrambling to fix past mistakes. There's no vision for the future.

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I guess that post didn't age well.

jamiche said:

I'm pretty sure that the $33M was rolled into the Ball trade.

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You're correct...my bad. I was reading a scenario if we aggregated Green, DDV and TSJ in another deal for a PF that gets rolled into the Randle deal.

About the only thing I can toss in here which everyone is probably aware of: Naz was very dependable. Since he started getting regular minutes it has been 70 games, 77, 68, 81, 80, 77
LaMelo 51, 75, 36, 22, 47, 72
Think Ball is signed for 3 more years, which could be good if things don't pan out.
Have me excited for the start of the season. Keep thinking Joan could really benefit offensively from this.

Excellent article and analysis from Jon K. Regarding the trade and that the Jaylen Brown were kicked

fan of Ray Williams said:

About the only thing I can toss in here which everyone is probably aware of: Naz was very dependable. Since he started getting regular minutes it has been 70 games, 77, 68, 81, 80, 77
LaMelo 51, 75, 36, 22, 47, 72
Think Ball is signed for 3 more years, which could be good if things don't pan out.
Have me excited for the start of the season. Keep thinking Joan could really benefit offensively from this.

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LaMelo will be eligible for a 2/$119M extension. I'm okay rolling the dice on the trade but paying him $60M a year gives me great pause.

Slim Tubby said:

LaMelo will be eligible for a 2/$119M extension. I'm okay rolling the dice on the trade but paying him $60M a year gives me great pause.

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After this season?
My mistake. I thought he was at 40M for a couple more years.

fan of Ray Williams said:

After this season?
My mistake. I thought he was at 40M for a couple more years.

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I won't pretend to understand a lot of the CBA rules but the info came from another site/source that is pretty accurate on this stuff. I believe he's eligible for the extension in July and it would go into effect following the end of his current deal.

The NHL contracts look like little sisters of the poor compared to other sports contracts.

some interesting reads

fan of Ray Williams said:

After this season?
My mistake. I thought he was at 40M for a couple more years.

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Slim Tubby said:

I won't pretend to understand a lot of the CBA rules but the info came from another site/source that is pretty accurate on this stuff. I believe he's eligible for the extension in July and it would go into effect following the end of his current deal.

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You may wanna check out this site.

He’s listed as having three years left on his present deal and then UFA. Nothing listed about an extension.

Gopher_In_NYC said:

You may wanna check out this site.

He’s listed as having three years left on his present deal and then UFA. Nothing listed about an extension.

LaMelo Ball Contract, Salary & Cap Hit 2026 | Spotrac

LaMelo Ball signed a 5 year, $203,852,600 contract with the Charlotte Hornets with an average annual salary of $40,770,520.

www.spotrac.com

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Just about every article I've read on the trade talks about how he is eligible for a two-year extension to his current deal

Gopher_In_NYC said:

You may wanna check out this site.

He’s listed as having three years left on his present deal and then UFA. Nothing listed about an extension.

LaMelo Ball Contract, Salary & Cap Hit 2026 | Spotrac

LaMelo Ball signed a 5 year, $203,852,600 contract with the Charlotte Hornets with an average annual salary of $40,770,520.

www.spotrac.com

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LaMelo Ball is eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million contract extension beginning on July 6, 2026. The upcoming extension would take effect in the 2028-29 season.

The specific details of his current contract status include:

• Current Status: He has three years remaining on his rookie max contract.
• Potential Future Deal: If Ball earns All-NBA honors in the 2026-27 season, he could become eligible for an even larger four-year, $300 million extension next summer.
• Recent Trade: Ball was recently traded from the Charlotte Hornets to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is still eligible to sign this extension with his new team.

Check out the actual CBA yall. He’s extension eligible and the what he can be offered varies based on a guys caliber. He’s eligible July 6. The possible upgrades are the chess they play because he will get more expensive if he became all nba. This is why it turns into a big deal if guys become non award/honors eligible because of availability

Border Gopher said:

Just about every article I've read on the trade talks about how he is eligible for a two-year extension to his current deal

NBA extension watch: 20 players who could shape the offseason

These are the most important NBA deals that could get done, plus how each outcome could help shape next season.

www.espn.com

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/3-hornets-eligible-contract-extensions-174450034.html

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Slim Tubby said:

LaMelo Ball is eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million contract extension beginning on July 6, 2026. The upcoming extension would take effect in the 2028-29 season.

The specific details of his current contract status include:

• Current Status: He has three years remaining on his rookie max contract.
• Potential Future Deal: If Ball earns All-NBA honors in the 2026-27 season, he could become eligible for an even larger four-year, $300 million extension next summer.
• Recent Trade: Ball was recently traded from the Charlotte Hornets to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is still eligible to sign this extension with his new team.

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I’m a magnanimous dude, so I’ll guve you each a half ️, as per Google the clock on the extension reset by .6 months due to the trade and the Wolves don’t have to offer it to him at all, it’s not an automatic.

No, the Timberwolves absolutely can prevent it because contract extensions in the NBA are not player options; they are mutual agreements. [1]
While LaMelo Ball is eligible to sign the extension, that only means the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) legally allows the deal to happen. For the extension to go through, the Timberwolves front office must explicitly offer him the contract, and Ball must then choose to accept it.

Why Minnesota Controls the Pen

• It is a New Negotiation: Extensions are not automatic triggers. They are newly negotiated contract additions. [1]
• The Trade Change Restrictions: Because Ball was just traded, NBA trade rules actually put strict limitations on his immediate extension. Under the CBA, a recently traded player cannot sign an extension that exceeds a 5% raise or adds more than 4 total years to his contract for the first six months following the trade. [1]
• The Six-Month Wait: If Minnesota wants to lock him into that specific massive two-year, $119.2 million extension with a major salary bump, they must wait until late December 2026 to officially offer it to him. [1, 2]

Ultimately, Minnesota traded for Ball knowing his exact contract status. They will dictate the timing, term, and financial structure of any potential extension—Ball cannot force them to sign anything.

upnorthkid said:

Check out the actual CBA yall. He’s extension eligible and the what he can be offered varies based on a guys caliber. He’s eligible July 6. The possible upgrades are the chess they play because he will get more expensive if he became all nba. This is why it turns into a big deal if guys become non award/honors eligible because of availability

Extensions - The CBA Guide

Extensions have different rules based on the two different types of Extensions available to Players under Contract: Rookie Scale Extensions and Veteran

cbaguide.com

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Perhaps you need to dig a bit deeper, my friend?

Per Google in my post above -

• The Trade Change Restrictions: Because Ball was just traded, NBA trade rules actually put strict limitations on his immediate extension. Under the CBA, a recently traded player cannot sign an extension that exceeds a 5% raise or adds more than 4 total years to his contract for the first six months following the trade. [1]
• The Six-Month Wait: If Minnesota wants to lock him into that specific massive two-year, $119.2 million extension with a major salary bump, they must wait until late December 2026 to officially offer it to him.

jamiche said:

I'm pretty sure that the $33M was rolled into the Ball trade. The wolves have the $6M bi-annual trade exception and about $14M for five roster spots before they hit the second apron. They aren't going to get a decent PF unless they trade somebody else. That's why I suggested Rocco. You are correct that he's slow. If they put Beringer at the four, his shooting range is about a foot further than Rudy's. Not many decent options.

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Here was the original content I was referring to regarding the potential space we have to sign a PF:


Here is a breakdown of the current trade financials for Minnesota.

IN: LaMelo Ball ($40,770,520) and Josh Green ($14,679,012) = $55,449,532

OUT: Julius Randle ($33,333,334) and Naz Reid ($23,275,862) = $56,609,196

This means that there is a $1,159,664 cushion for Minnesota to take back salary while still being able to stay over the First Apron. That said, if Josh Green is rerouted, that cushion balloons to $15,838,676.

Assuming that we operate with the $15,838,676 figure in mind, here are Minnesota's remaining tradeable contracts:

Donte DiVincenzo: $12,535,000
Terrence Shannon Jr.: $2,801,640
Julian Phillips: $2,406,205

This means that the total figure of contracts that can come back (trading out Josh Green and those three) is $33,581,521.

So that is the big question... "What can Minnesota fit into that space with virtually no assets outside of near-worthless pick-swaps using only those players, before the July 6th deadline?"

Gopher_In_NYC said:

Perhaps you need to dig a bit deeper, my friend?

Per Google in my post above -

• The Trade Change Restrictions: Because Ball was just traded, NBA trade rules actually put strict limitations on his immediate extension. Under the CBA, a recently traded player cannot sign an extension that exceeds a 5% raise or adds more than 4 total years to his contract for the first six months following the trade. [1]
• The Six-Month Wait: If Minnesota wants to lock him into that specific massive two-year, $119.2 million extension with a major salary bump, they must wait until late December 2026 to officially offer it to him.

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IF he wants that exact raise yes.

This is all moot. He’s not going to sign an extension now or this winter and is going to bet on himself and his role to try make an all nba team and get the much larger deal

upnorthkid said:

IF he wants that exact raise yes.

This is all moot. He’s not going to sign an extension now or this winter and is going to bet on himself and his role to try make an all nba team

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He’s under contract for three yeears, so I doubt Connolly is sweating it.

Ant wasn’t even All-NBA last season and neither was Ball with his best season ever.

Nugs, Pistons, Okie only team either two All- NBA players this season - it’s team and he’s the focus of the offense- I’m not worried about Ball being All NBA.

Gopher_In_NYC said:

He’s under contract for three yeears, so I doubt Connolly is sweating it.

Ant wasn’t even All-NBA last season and neither was Ball with his best season ever.

Nugs, Pistons, Okie only team either two All- NBA players this season - it’s team and he’s the focus of the offense- I’m not worried about Ball being All NBA.

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Agreed 100%. I’d let him bet on himself and prove he can stay healthy. Zero reason to give him anywhere near that money at this point

I like the trade as the age fits, the window is short and leaves a pivot open still in ants prime if he can’t stay healthy, and it I think plays more to style that fits ant infinitely better on offense. If nothing, they should be a super fun watch

Gopher_In_NYC said:

He’s under contract for three yeears, so I doubt Connolly is sweating it.

Ant wasn’t even All-NBA last season and neither was Ball with his best season ever.

Nugs, Pistons, Okie only team either two All- NBA players this season - it’s team and he’s the focus of the offense- I’m not worried about Ball being All NBA.

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Ant didn't qualify to be voted to one (1) of the All NBA teams because he didn't meet the minimum games played requirement. I will say this...if Ball does make one of the teams next season, that means great things have happened for the Wolves. Unlikely, though, as you stated.

upnorthkid said:

Agreed 100%. I’d let him bet on himself and prove he can stay healthy. Zero reason to give him anywhere near that money at this point

I like the trade as the age fits, the window is short and leaves a pivot open still in ants prime if he can’t stay healthy, and it I think plays more to style that fits ant infinitely better on offense. If nothing, they should be a super fun watch

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I like the trade as well and am excited also that we’re swinging for the fences and that ownership and support it.

Slim Tubby said:

Ant didn't qualify to be voted to one (1) of the All NBA teams because he didn't meet the minimum games played requirement.

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My bad.

Slim Tubby said:

I will say this...if Ball does make one of the teams next season, that means great things have happened for the Wolves.

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That would be what we call one of them good problems to have or we can be the Nugs - embarrassing to go out that early.

Slim Tubby said:

Unlikely, though, as you stated.

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Slim Tubby said:

Ant didn't qualify to be voted to one (1) of the All NBA teams because he didn't meet the minimum games played requirement. I will say this...if Ball does make one of the teams next season, that means great things have happened for the Wolves. Unlikely, though, as you stated.

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yep and this is the real reason that they contested it for Ant. Now because he's made it 2 of the prior 3 years its not a big deal, but now that Ball is in town this will get very fascinating from an identity standpoint as it greatly impacts the money you can be extended for. would be hugely surprised if Ant isn't still the Alpha, but this will be the best "ball in hands" guy he's played with so far, so things like end of game are going to be new for Finchy to work out

One of the.nice thing about the wolves before the lamelo trade was only having one max player. Adding ball is going to have serious financial ramifications down the road. This better work

JimmyJamesMD said:

One of the.nice thing about the wolves before the lamelo trade was only having one max player. Adding ball is going to have serious financial ramifications down the road. This better work

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we've yet to see if Ball is a max player. He certainly thinks he is (as does his dad). He's gotta prove that on the court (and to his peers)

.

upnorthkid said:

Check out the actual CBA yall. He’s extension eligible and the what he can be offered varies based on a guys caliber. He’s eligible July 6. The possible upgrades are the chess they play because he will get more expensive if he became all nba. This is why it turns into a big deal if guys become non award/honors eligible because of availability

Extensions - The CBA Guide

Extensions have different rules based on the two different types of Extensions available to Players under Contract: Rookie Scale Extensions and Veteran

cbaguide.com

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and that contract reflects the total it could be. However, if you sign him it is around $100, with an escalation to $119 if he makes all NBA after signing it. Which we would actually hope would occur.

Hopefully we find a trade that Green works in.

If not we have to to sign 5 players. Assuming no one else goes.

Currently two will be Evans and Renn hopefully for 1.3 rookie minimums (or the 2nd rd pick exception). Then 3 more slots. 1 could be taxpayer MLE for 6.1 million.

Then two vet Minimums each being 2.4 million to 4 million each.

A couple fits with a baseball like platoon strategy:
Kevin Love PF
Mason Plumlee C
Marvin Bagley
Larry Nance JR


Some tMLE candidates:
Dean Wade PF
LeBron James PF
Kenrich Williams PF assuming OKC declines his option.


Or you could sign Renn to a 2 way contract.

Then try to bring Mike Conley back. He’s extremely useful to spell Ball. also, just having him around would be advantageous.

Long analysis. Thinks Ball could really open things up offensively, especially catch and shoot 3’s. Thinks LaMelo can stay healthy with reduced minutes and lock in defensively once playoffs arrive.

The LaMelo Ant backcourt should terrify the NBA: a power forward case study.In full disclosure, I was planning on writing about the importance of playmaking to match the new size this week anyway. I adapted to the recent trade.Dumping Julius Randle gave the Wolves cap flexibility to make a splash trade to acquire LaMelo Ball from the Hornets. This is exactly what the Timberwolves needed around Anthony Edwards. I described earlier this week how the Wolves need a PG who can shoot and handle the ball. I did not think LaMelo was even an option, and he fits that mold perfectly. For the record, I am generally a skeptic of making splash moves. I prefer roster flexibility and draft picks, but even for me, this is an exception. This fit works even better after the draft this week and the trends from the picks.This trend looks at the power forward position. Remember your older brother’s power forwards from the 2010s: David West, Paul Millsap, Serge Ibaka, Carlos Boozer. Better versions were Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge. Most of these guys fit the description of big, good rebounder, can be a secondary post defender, can kind of shoot but no threes.What happened to this archetype? The Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green. The Warriors changed the game with their passing, motion, and shooting, making that big power forward inefficient, old, and slow. Before the Wolves tried to use two bigs, KAT and Rudy, and started the size trend again in a way, power forwards came in all shapes and sizes. From Jayson Tatum, a large small forward who mostly plays on the perimeter, Jaren Jackson Jr., a center’s body who prefers to play as a help defender, a former DPOY who somehow can't rebound. Draymond Green, relatively small but, in my opinion, the second best defender since 2010. Very smart, can switch everything. He can guard on the perimeter and is strong enough to guard smaller bigs.Don’t look now, but the power forward and big frontcourt are returning. Looking just in the West, I will list a few big projected starting 3-5s:OKC: J-Dub 6'5, Chet Holmgren 7'1, Isaiah Hartenstein 7'0.Utah: Lauri Markkanen 7'1, Jaren Jackson Jr. 6'10, Walker Kessler 7'2.Portland: Deni Avdija 6'8, Toumani Camara 6'7, Donovan Clingan 7'2.Spurs: Wemby 7'4, plus their bigger guards.Houston: Amen Thompson 6'7, Kevin Durant 6'11, Jabari Smith Jr. 6'11, Alperen Sengun 6'11.Dallas: Morez Johnson Jr. 6'9, Cooper Flagg 6'9, Dereck Lively II 7'1.Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer 6'9 and Zach Edey 7'3.That is 7 out of the other 14 Western Conference teams projected to start a very tall frontcourt. Size is back in the NBA, likely due to competing with Wemby.If the trend is to go big, why did the Wolves send their projected starting power forward and all their remaining draft assets to go trade for a point guard? The answer is what Steve Kerr and the Warriors did to make the NBA small a decade ago. The Warriors changed the game with a dynamic backcourt that shot and made more threes than any other backcourt up to that point. But their small lineup that defended and made these bigs run around the court changed the game. Since then, the three ball is something all teams had to incorporate, but they forgot what made these Warriors teams special, and that was their passing.The last two regular seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder were the league’s best defense in terms of net rating. They typically started a very tall lead guard in SGA, a big wing defender in Lu Dort, a big do-it-all wing in Jalen Williams, a tall three and post D player in Chet Holmgren, and a center in Isiah Hartenstein. The Thunder went big, and the league followed. Yes, the Thunder have good depth, but their starting lineup is elite. What were the teams that made this Thunder team struggle? It was not the Wolves, the iso heavy, not a lot of passing, slow Timberwolves.It was the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers. What do both of these teams have? An elite one of one playmaker and a team that is built around that. Tyrese Haliburton and Nikola Jokic, and their playmaking, are what make these big teams struggle. Their creative motion puts these defenders in bad situations. Jokic has gotten the better of Wemby in their limited matchups, and KAT's playmaking also has made Wemby look human. Meanwhile Indiana ran through the east last season and took the Thunder to 7 with Hali getting hurt in game 7. There is a legit world where they win the finals last year. What does this have to do with LaMelo? Last season, the Wolves had a creation issue. Their assist leader was Julius Randle with a measly 4 a game. Ant was doubled a lot and did not have the playmaking to make the defense pay. The Wolves were a bottom 6 team in catch and shoot attempts per game but were top 5 in catch and shoot shooting percentage. Meanwhile, the Hornets were 6th in attempts. Most of that was LaMelo’s ability as a ball handler to create space and passing to take advantage. Now add this to the Wolves, who are an elite catch and shoot team. Ant shoots almost 50% on catch and shoot threes. Ayo can make them as well. At this point, the fifth starter is unknown, but the gravity generated by the backcourt can help both Jaden and Rudy unlock their offense. Jaden will get the ball in more opportune times, plus throwing lobs to Rudy. The Wolves already have the pieces for a top-5 offense, and Rudy and Jaden to stabilize a top-10 defense. Opponents will really struggle against going big against the Wolves. The lineup they can run of Ball, Ant, Ayo, Jaden, and Rudy can pass, move, and make these bigs look slow. If Finch can unlock this, the bigs of the West will not have a fun time playing the Wolves.The three concerns I have seen about LaMelo are maturity, injuries, and defense. To start with maturity, Ball is only 24; he has time to develop this. At the start of his time with the Hornets, the franchise was dysfunctional. His vets were Bismack Biyombo and Gordon Hayward. He had multiple head coaches and finally had a taste of success this season. Compared to Minnesota, Rudy has a well-documented history of taking care of his body, Mike Conley, if he stays, is a great vet, and Ant is one of the hardest workers in the NBA. Plus, a great coach in Chris Finch at keeping a culture. I think the Wolves ecosystem can help him mature into a winning player. Injuries have plagued LaMelo at this point of his career. This season, he played the most games, and he also played the least minutes per game. That has to be the recipe: contain his minutes, and he should stay healthier. Along with the Wolves having an elite medical staff, I trust they know this. The Wolves are also exploring bringing back Conley and Bones. They already have Ant and Ayo locked up. Minnesota has the guard depth to limit his minutes and keep him healthy and fresh.LaMelo's defense has never been great. He does have the size you want in a big guard. This is my biggest concern, but this move is about the playoffs, where intensity brings out the best. If he can’t lock in during the playoffs defensively, he is likely a lost cause, but with the Wolves, I think it can work.This season is the most excited I think I have ever been for a Timberwolves season in my life. This is a roster that can win at the highest level, and I think it can change the game.