The Timberwolves president said that the team has internal options at the four that might surprise people.
The biggest remaining question for the Timberwolves this offseason has nothing to do with their backcourt.
Minnesota landed LaMelo Ball and Josh Green in a four-team trade that sent Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and Naz Reid to Charlotte, giving the team a dynamic pairing of Ball and Anthony Edwards that should be one of the best guard combinations in the league.
But that deal left a hole at power forward that the front office has not yet filled, and Tim Connelly and coach Chris Finch have both spoken publicly about how they plan to address it.
Connelly Stays Confident
Connelly appeared on KFAN radio with Dan Barreiro and was asked directly about the power forward situation.
"I think we have some internal options that maybe would be a little 'left-fieldish' for some, but we're confident in," Connelly said, hinting that the team may look inside the roster rather than making another major trade.
That tracks with how Connelly has operated throughout his tenure in Minnesota, where he has valued player development and internal growth over short-term acquisitions when the fit was not right.
Finch, meanwhile, told the Star Tribune's Chris Hine that he does not envision Jaden McDaniels simply sliding over from small forward to the four.
That comment narrows the field of internal candidates and suggests the coaching staff is thinking more creatively about who fills the spot.
Josh Green, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark are all names that could be part of the conversation, with Green being the most likely option given his size and three-point shooting.
Why the Position Matters
The Western Conference is not a place where teams can afford to have a weak spot in the starting lineup.
Minnesota's path to contention runs through Anthony Edwards being an MVP-level player and the roster around him filling its roles effectively.
A power forward who can space the floor and defend multiple positions would complete the puzzle, while a poor fit at the four could limit what the rest of the starting five can do on both ends.
The Ball acquisition gave Minnesota real playmaking alongside Edwards for the first time since Connelly took over, and the front office believes in the direction the roster is heading.
But the power forward spot is the one area where belief alone is not going to be enough.
Someone has to actually play the position, and right now the answer is not that obvious.
The Path Forward
Connelly's use of the word "left-fieldish" is interesting because it may suggest the solution might not be a traditional power forward at all.
Minnesota could go small with a wing-heavy lineup, or it could lean into a positionless approach that spreads the minutes differently than fans expect.
The Timberwolves have built their roster around versatility over the past two years, and this might be another case where the front office is willing to bet on a nontraditional lineup construction.
There is still time before training camp to act, and Connelly has never been afraid to act late in the offseason if the right deal comes along.
The approach right now is patience, but patience only works if the options actually deliver when the season starts.
