MMBets: The Wolves Go All In

I like Minnesota’s roster a lot. I also think this is one of those teams where the over could look great for two months and then completely fall apart because one injury changes everything. The LaMelo Ball trade raised Minnesota’s ceiling, but it also came at a real cost. The Timberwolves traded Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and major draft capital to get him, then added Jonathan Kuminga and Cody Williams to rebuild the forward rotation.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Over/Under 48.5 wins

Over: -110
Under: -115
To win NBA Championship: +3000
To win Western Conference: +1400
To win Northwest Division: +1100

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Last season: 49-33, sixth in the West, lost in the second round

Key additions: LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga, Trey Lyles, Cody Williams, Isaiah Evans
Key losses: Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, Sandro Mamukelashvili

The under case really comes down to how much Minnesota lost and how much it is now relying on two stars who have had injury problems.

Edwards only played 61 games last season after being much more durable in previous years. LaMelo has struggled to stay on the floor throughout his career. Minnesota is now counting on both of them not only to stay healthy, but to carry a huge amount of the offense.

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That is risky when the line is 48.5.

The other thing I keep coming back to is the loss of Reid and Randle. Reid gave Minnesota shooting, size and lineup flexibility. Randle gave them another legitimate creator and rebounder. Those are not small departures. Kuminga is talented, but he has never really found a consistent role, and Cody Williams is still young. SB Nation’s preseason look at Minnesota basically framed this roster as boom-or-bust for that exact reason: the Wolves traded proven depth for more upside.

I still think Minnesota is good. LaMelo should make Edwards better, Gobert keeps the defensive floor high, and McDaniels is still one of the league’s better defenders.

I just think this roster has less margin for error than last year’s.

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If Edwards or LaMelo misses 15 or 20 games, or if Kuminga does not fit cleanly, this could easily become a 45- or 46-win team in a…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mmbets-wolves-110000309.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-04 11:00:00

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