NBA Preview: 3 Key Wolves Who Must Develop

‘Internal development’ was up there as one of the key phrases of the Minnesota Timberwolves 2024-25 offseason. Alongside ‘continuity’, the two were constantly used as the main themes to describe how Minnesota would take another step forward after their back-to-back Western Conference Finals trips.

I think we can all agree that while it was fun to track this supposed ‘internal development’ and see the leaps and bounds that the young core took last season, by the time October rolled around, we were all fatigued by a term that had come to mean nothing.

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It’s not like these supposed developments were a choice for the team; there just wasn’t much else to discuss, as the front office decided to run the team back in basically the exact same iteration as the year prior.

SAN ANTONIO, TX. – MAY 2026: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) react as they head into halftime against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs, NBA Western Conference Semifinals, Game 5. NBA Playoffs. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images) | Star Tribune via Getty Images

This year feels different though.

Because of how quickly the NBA moves, combined with the massive roster overhaul that Minnesota went through this offseason, it feels like the internal development aspect of the roster has gone by the wayside.

When the Julius Randle trade happened, it seemed like the internal improvement theme could have been even more prominent than before. With Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Ayo Dosunmu all seemingly in line for bigger roles, it felt like the Wolves were preparing for a youth movement, highlighting their assumed core.

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That is, until LaMelo Ball became a Timberwolf and Jonathan Kuminga followed him to Minnesota. Because of the big changes, internal development was pushed down the priority list.

Still, it’s important to focus on the players who were already here and who will hopefully have a great impact on the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nba-preview-3-key-wolves-120000979.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-17 12:00:00

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