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Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 4:36 pm
by rapsuperstar31
Quote from Luka about the offseason, but also applies to building around Ant.
[Molina] Luka Dončić : “We need a good team and good people in the locker room. It’s a very important summer. I always need shooters around me because defenses usually double-team me,” he explained. “And athletic big men who can protect the rim and finish plays.”
Dončić described this summer as a pivotal one for the Lakers as they continue building a championship-caliber roster around him.
“Every offseason is important, but this one is even more so,” he said. “We need a good team and good people in the locker room. It’s a very important summer. I always need shooters around me because defenses usually double-team me,” he explained. “And athletic big men who can protect the rim and finish plays.”
Despite being considered one of the league’s perennial MVP candidates, Dončić insisted individual awards remain secondary. “The media decides those awards,” he said. “Of course I want to win every trophy, but the most important thing is winning the championship.”
With emerging contenders across the NBA, including San Antonio, Oklahoma City, New York and Boston, Dončić believes the Western Conference remains wide open. “There are so many great teams,” he said. “Finishing third or fourth in the West is never easy, but there are several teams capable of competing for the title.
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 6:35 pm
by Q-is-here
rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2026 3:14 pm
https://nbarankings.theringer.com/
The Ringer updated it's top 100 list after the season ended. Kat jumps up to 12th, and a bunch of Spurs rose including Harper jumping 54 spots to 45th. Ayo one of the bigger risers going jumping 15 spots to 81st. It doesn't include injured players, so Donte isn't on the list.
Ant 6th
Rudy 39th
Jaden 51st
Julius 54th
Naz 74th
Ayo 81st
Interesting, thanks for sharing.
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 11:04 am
by rapsuperstar31
Jaden made ESPN's all playoff team.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/490 ... wembanyama
Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves
There aren't many candidates worth considering from playoff teams that lost before the conference finals. Nobody who bowed out in the first round played enough to place on the All-Playoffs team, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers didn't do much better, as they were both swept in the second round.
Cade Cunningham almost nabbed this final spot because he scored 28.1 PPG (second in the postseason behind Brunson) for Detroit. But he also really struggled in a few backbreaking losses to Cleveland, and he averaged 5.6 turnovers for a team that ultimately disappointed relative to its No. 1 seed. (The Pistons probably would have lost in a rare 8-over-1 upset if Orlando's Franz Wagner had stayed healthy.)
The Timberwolves, however, impressed in the first round -- with an upset over the Nuggets -- and acquitted themselves well in the second round, with a respectable 4-2 loss to the Spurs. They did all of that while dealing with major injuries, including star Anthony Edwards hyperextending his left knee and sitting out the final two games of the Timberwolves' first-round series. And a large portion of the credit belongs to McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.
Gobert was considered for this spot, thanks to his defense on Nikola Jokic, though his effectiveness dissipated against Wembanyama in the second round. But McDaniels remained a defensive force throughout Minnesota's playoff run, frustrating the Nuggets' and Spurs' All-Star point guards.
Jamal Murray averaged 23.7 PPG on 36% shooting in the first round, and De'Aaron Fox averaged 17.7 PPG on 43% shooting in the second. Murray looked especially bothered by McDaniels' length and nimbleness on the perimeter; he has historically been an excellent playoff performer, but he averaged only 20.7 points per 100 matchups against McDaniels compared with 33.5 points per 100 against all other Timberwolves defenders, per GeniusIQ.
And on the other end, though McDaniels made only 24% of his 3-pointers in this postseason, he boosted his scoring when forced by the Timberwolves' injuries, highlighted by 32 points on 13-for-25 shooting in their closeout win over Denver. It was the highest-scoring game of McDaniels' playoff career -- and it earned him the last spot on the 2026 All-Playoffs team.
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2026 11:36 am
by Wolvesfan21
rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2026 11:04 am
Jaden made ESPN's all playoff team.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/490 ... wembanyama
Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves
There aren't many candidates worth considering from playoff teams that lost before the conference finals. Nobody who bowed out in the first round played enough to place on the All-Playoffs team, and the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers didn't do much better, as they were both swept in the second round.
Cade Cunningham almost nabbed this final spot because he scored 28.1 PPG (second in the postseason behind Brunson) for Detroit. But he also really struggled in a few backbreaking losses to Cleveland, and he averaged 5.6 turnovers for a team that ultimately disappointed relative to its No. 1 seed. (The Pistons probably would have lost in a rare 8-over-1 upset if Orlando's Franz Wagner had stayed healthy.)
The Timberwolves, however, impressed in the first round -- with an upset over the Nuggets -- and acquitted themselves well in the second round, with a respectable 4-2 loss to the Spurs. They did all of that while dealing with major injuries, including star Anthony Edwards hyperextending his left knee and sitting out the final two games of the Timberwolves' first-round series. And a large portion of the credit belongs to McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.
Gobert was considered for this spot, thanks to his defense on Nikola Jokic, though his effectiveness dissipated against Wembanyama in the second round. But McDaniels remained a defensive force throughout Minnesota's playoff run, frustrating the Nuggets' and Spurs' All-Star point guards.
Jamal Murray averaged 23.7 PPG on 36% shooting in the first round, and De'Aaron Fox averaged 17.7 PPG on 43% shooting in the second. Murray looked especially bothered by McDaniels' length and nimbleness on the perimeter; he has historically been an excellent playoff performer, but he averaged only 20.7 points per 100 matchups against McDaniels compared with 33.5 points per 100 against all other Timberwolves defenders, per GeniusIQ.
And on the other end, though McDaniels made only 24% of his 3-pointers in this postseason, he boosted his scoring when forced by the Timberwolves' injuries, highlighted by 32 points on 13-for-25 shooting in their closeout win over Denver. It was the highest-scoring game of McDaniels' playoff career -- and it earned him the last spot on the 2026 All-Playoffs team.
He was great against the Nuggies. They acknowledge he was poor against SA, but really that does it for me. He really didn't show up like we needed, if we were going to win that series. Sure neither did a few other Wolves, but let's not look over the SA series because he was awesome against the Nuggs.
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2026 7:34 pm
by WildWolf2813
There's a non zero chance that Randle returns
and if that happens, get ready for a disaster of a season.
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 10:48 am
by Monster
WildWolf2813 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 18, 2026 7:34 pm
There's a non zero chance that Randle returns
and if that happens, get ready for a disaster of a season.
I just looked at his stats again and realized we should keep him. Based on his every other year pattern of shooting the 3 well he is due for a good 3 point shooting season this coming year! Then deal him at the trade deadline for even more value!!!! Lol
I'm one of the biggest fans of Randle on this board and I'm cool with moving him in a deal but he is also a good player. We have talked quite a bit about surrounding Edwards with various players. What about if we improved the guard play wouldn't that also help Randle? What if he didn't have to do as much? Would he be willing to do that? Idk that's a fair question but the reality is that for sure the last 2 series the Wolves were eliminated they didn't have enough ball handling and or shooting on the perimeter. That's not all on Randle. I still think there is a very good chance he is traded but there are probably scenarios where if the Wolves add the right players he might still make sense. We will see.
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 11:46 am
by Lipoli390
Monster wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 10:48 am
WildWolf2813 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 18, 2026 7:34 pm
There's a non zero chance that Randle returns
and if that happens, get ready for a disaster of a season.
I just looked at his stats again and realized we should keep him. Based on his every other year pattern of shooting the 3 well he is due for a good 3 point shooting season this coming year! Then deal him at the trade deadline for even more value!!!! Lol
I'm one of the biggest fans of Randle on this board and I'm cool with moving him in a deal but he is also a good player. We have talked quite a bit about surrounding Edwards with various players. What about if we improved the guard play wouldn't that also help Randle? What if he didn't have to do as much? Would he be willing to do that? Idk that's a fair question but the reality is that for sure the last 2 series the Wolves were eliminated they didn't have enough ball handling and or shooting on the perimeter. That's not all on Randle. I still think there is a very good chance he is traded but there are probably scenarios where if the Wolves add the right players he might still make sense. We will see.
I was advocating for moving Randle a year ago last offseason and I continue to believe the Wolves should try to move him this summer. Having said that, I agree he’s a very good player and that the fact we fell short of our goals this past season is not all on Randle. Therefore, I would not trade him just to trade him, counting on the addition by subtraction effect. Randle should command a decent return precisely because he is a very good player who is still in his prime. It’s a matter of fit. For the Wolves, his fit is suboptimal because he’s too ball-dominant to co-exist optimally with Ant and he slows what could be a more dynamic, athletic, movement-oriented offense with Ant, Jaden, Naz and Ayo. But on the right team, he could be a great fit. TC needs to find those teams and get the best return he can from one of them. If not, I don’t think keeping Randle would stop this team from improving next season.
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 12:09 pm
by FNG
Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 11:46 am
Monster wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 10:48 am
WildWolf2813 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 18, 2026 7:34 pm
There's a non zero chance that Randle returns
and if that happens, get ready for a disaster of a season.
I just looked at his stats again and realized we should keep him. Based on his every other year pattern of shooting the 3 well he is due for a good 3 point shooting season this coming year! Then deal him at the trade deadline for even more value!!!! Lol
I'm one of the biggest fans of Randle on this board and I'm cool with moving him in a deal but he is also a good player. We have talked quite a bit about surrounding Edwards with various players. What about if we improved the guard play wouldn't that also help Randle? What if he didn't have to do as much? Would he be willing to do that? Idk that's a fair question but the reality is that for sure the last 2 series the Wolves were eliminated they didn't have enough ball handling and or shooting on the perimeter. That's not all on Randle. I still think there is a very good chance he is traded but there are probably scenarios where if the Wolves add the right players he might still make sense. We will see.
I was advocating for moving Randle a year ago last offseason and I continue to believe the Wolves should try to move him this summer. Having said that, I agree he’s a very good player and that the fact we fell short of our goals this past season is not all on Randle. Therefore, I would not trade him just to trade him, counting on the addition by subtraction effect. Randle should command a decent return precisely because he is a very good player who is still in his prime. It’s a matter of fit. For the Wolves, his fit is suboptimal because he’s too ball-dominant to co-exist optimally with Ant and he slows what could be a more dynamic, athletic, movement-oriented offense with Ant, Jaden, Naz and Ayo. But on the right team, he could be a great fit. TC needs to find those teams and get the best return he can from one of them. If not, I don’t think keeping Randle would stop this team from improving next season.
Yeah, I agree with you and monster that we can't just dump a guy who put up 21/7/5 last season and adds some much needed toughness. But I also agree there are teams out there who are going to value him, and that should provide us with a nice return.
Has there ever been an offseason like this one where almost the entire board is convinced a starter will be moved? We're going to have to talk a lot of posters off the ledge if Ju isn't traded!
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 5:58 pm
by Lipoli390
FNG wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 12:09 pm
Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 11:46 am
Monster wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 10:48 am
I just looked at his stats again and realized we should keep him. Based on his every other year pattern of shooting the 3 well he is due for a good 3 point shooting season this coming year! Then deal him at the trade deadline for even more value!!!! Lol
I'm one of the biggest fans of Randle on this board and I'm cool with moving him in a deal but he is also a good player. We have talked quite a bit about surrounding Edwards with various players. What about if we improved the guard play wouldn't that also help Randle? What if he didn't have to do as much? Would he be willing to do that? Idk that's a fair question but the reality is that for sure the last 2 series the Wolves were eliminated they didn't have enough ball handling and or shooting on the perimeter. That's not all on Randle. I still think there is a very good chance he is traded but there are probably scenarios where if the Wolves add the right players he might still make sense. We will see.
I was advocating for moving Randle a year ago last offseason and I continue to believe the Wolves should try to move him this summer. Having said that, I agree he’s a very good player and that the fact we fell short of our goals this past season is not all on Randle. Therefore, I would not trade him just to trade him, counting on the addition by subtraction effect. Randle should command a decent return precisely because he is a very good player who is still in his prime. It’s a matter of fit. For the Wolves, his fit is suboptimal because he’s too ball-dominant to co-exist optimally with Ant and he slows what could be a more dynamic, athletic, movement-oriented offense with Ant, Jaden, Naz and Ayo. But on the right team, he could be a great fit. TC needs to find those teams and get the best return he can from one of them. If not, I don’t think keeping Randle would stop this team from improving next season.
Yeah, I agree with you and monster that we can't just dump a guy who put up 21/7/5 last season and adds some much needed toughness. But I also agree there are teams out there who are going to value him, and that should provide us with a nice return.
Has there ever been an offseason like this one where almost the entire board is convinced a starter will be moved? We're going to have to talk a lot of posters off the ledge if Ju isn't traded!
lol. No kidding!
Re: Wolves offseason outlook.
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 6:20 pm
by Monster
Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 5:58 pm
FNG wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 12:09 pm
Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 19, 2026 11:46 am
I was advocating for moving Randle a year ago last offseason and I continue to believe the Wolves should try to move him this summer. Having said that, I agree he’s a very good player and that the fact we fell short of our goals this past season is not all on Randle. Therefore, I would not trade him just to trade him, counting on the addition by subtraction effect. Randle should command a decent return precisely because he is a very good player who is still in his prime. It’s a matter of fit. For the Wolves, his fit is suboptimal because he’s too ball-dominant to co-exist optimally with Ant and he slows what could be a more dynamic, athletic, movement-oriented offense with Ant, Jaden, Naz and Ayo. But on the right team, he could be a great fit. TC needs to find those teams and get the best return he can from one of them. If not, I don’t think keeping Randle would stop this team from improving next season.
Yeah, I agree with you and monster that we can't just dump a guy who put up 21/7/5 last season and adds some much needed toughness. But I also agree there are teams out there who are going to value him, and that should provide us with a nice return.
Has there ever been an offseason like this one where almost the entire board is convinced a starter will be moved? We're going to have to talk a lot of posters off the ledge if Ju isn't traded!
lol. No kidding!
I saw a video on Twitter today where Mackey was talking with Judd about he basically heard that Randle thought he was gonna get traded at the deadline and now is back in Dallas basically assuming he is gonna be traded so I guess he will have to be talked down also! Lol
I'm not sure how reliable Mackey is but this does make sense. It's also the first I've actually heard/read about how someone in the media actually said Randle likely isn't coming back. That's definitely the sense I have gotten so I don't know how much I needed to hear it from someone. It's kinda weird that Randle might be the one being like hey you don't want me might as well just do it. It definitely makes dealing him look like a better idea. I remember Jon K doing a story about how Randle was in kind of a dark place at times before the trade here and this was a fresh start for him. At this point I'm hoping some other team will want a pretty good player and we can get someone pretty worthwhile back...honestly nothing has really changed much in my thinking the past few weeks in that regard.