Minnesota Timberwolves: 2025 Offseason Priorities and Salary Cap Dynamics

I look at potential new contracts for Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. I also examine what would be required to trade for Kevin Durant under the apron rules.

The Minnesota Timberwolves made one of the most ridiculed trades in recent memory when they traded five first-round picks for Rudy Gobert. After a slow first season, they responded with a strong regular season and went to the Conference Finals for the first time in two decades. The trade was justified with a proven concept to pair Karl-Anthony Towns with a generational rim protector.

Then they made the stunning decision to trade Towns to the Knicks on the eve of the 2024-25 training camp. The move made the Wolves deeper and gave them more cap flexibility in the future. After a slow start, they justified another bold move by making it back to the conference finals.

Dane Moore joined the podcast last week to discuss the Wolves and their upcoming offseason. We discussed the market on their top free agents and whether they should run it back or make another bold trade. It’s a good companion piece for this preview, which will focus on salary cap dynamics. In particular, the player options of Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the free agency of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and how the Wolves would have to structure a trade for a potential All-Star under the second apron.