Minnesota spent big to land LaMelo Ball, so the pieces it has left to trade matter more than ever.
The Minnesota Timberwolves went all in this summer.
After a 49-33 season that ended with a loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round, the front office traded for guard LaMelo Ball in a four-team deal that sent forward Julius Randle to Brooklyn and center Naz Reid to Charlotte.
That move made the team more exciting, but it also used up a lot of the future, so any trade this season has to come from the players already in the building.
Head coach Chris Finch pointed to the three players who still anchor the roster when he sat down with MinnPost's Britt Robson this month.
"But the tentpoles (Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels) are still here," Finch said.
Why the Cupboard Is Thin
The Ball trade cost Minnesota its 2033 first-round pick, three second-round picks and three first-round pick swaps, according to Hoops Rumors, and forward Joshua Jefferson's draft rights went to Brooklyn as well.
The Timberwolves are also operating over the first apron and below the second apron, so salary has to match closely in any deal.
Guard Donte DiVincenzo and his expiring $12.5 million salary would normally be an easy trade chip, but Hoops Rumors expects him to miss most of the season after he tore his Achilles in the first round of the playoffs.
The Top Three
Guard Ayo Dosunmu ranks first.
Minnesota got him from Chicago in February and then re-signed him to a five-year, $112 million deal, and he averaged 14.4 points in 24 games after the trade.
A 26-year-old guard who can score is exactly what contending teams look for, and his $19.3 million salary is easy to fit into almost any trade.
Guard Cody Williams ranks second.
The Timberwolves added the former No. 10 pick from Utah in August for guard Josh Green and cash, and he averaged 8.8 points in 67 games for the Jazz last season.
He is young, cheap at $6.0 million, and still has room to grow, which is the type of profile every rebuilding team wants.
Forward Jonathan Kuminga ranks third.
Minnesota signed him to a two-year, $12.4 million deal with a player option after a long pursuit, and he averaged 12.2 points last season with Golden State and Atlanta.
His value depends on how he fits next to Ball, so a strong start would only raise it.
The Young Pieces Round It Out
Center Joan Beringer, the 17th pick in 2025, played just 40 games as a rookie, but a young center on a rookie deal always draws calls.
Guard Terrence Shannon Jr., guard Jaylen Clark and rookie guard Isaiah Evans round out the list as smaller pieces that could help balance a bigger deal.
The best trade assets are the ones Minnesota may not want to move, and that is the hard part of this season.
With Randle and Reid gone, the team already has questions in the frontcourt, so the smartest path is to hold these players unless a deal clearly makes the team better right now.
Media day is Monday, and the first few months will show which of these names are building value and which are headed for the trade market.
