Fatal flaw Timberwolves must fix at 2025 NBA trade deadline

01/13/2025 12:36 AM

The Minnesota Timberwolves have drawn a critical eye from the entire NBA fanbase for their ill-advised decision-making over the offseason. In the name of prioritizing the franchise’s long-term financial health, the Timberwolves decided to trade franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns, whose supermax contract was set to kick in, to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo (and a heavily-protected first-round pick) in a move that can only be chalked up to being a cost-cutting maneuver.

This move has done nothing but act as a detriment to the Timberwolves’ championship hopes. They don’t look anything close to being the contending team they were last season. They made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last season, and with more maturity when it comes to executing in the clutch, it’s no stretch to say that they could have gotten over the hump and secured a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals.

Alas, there is no use in crying over spilled milk. What’s done is done, and all the Timberwolves can do is to keep moving forward as they look to make the most out of Anthony Edwards’ talent. Edwards, however, has been on a bit of a funk as of late, and the Timberwolves will be needing more out of him if they were to climb the top of the West standings.

To that end, this is the fatal flaw the Timberwolves will have to fix at the 2025 NBA trade deadline.

Timberwolves can’t string together any sort of consistency

All season long, the Timberwolves have been feeling things out, hoping to stumble into some sort of winning formula after a middling start to the 2024-25 campaign. They haven’t been consistent whatsoever; on one night, it’s their defense that can’t seem to get it together. And then for a considerable stretch of time, it’s their offense that they can’t figure out.

On Saturday night, in their 127-125 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, they were outworked — Memphis shot 25 more field goals than Minnesota did, courtesy of a 14-offensive rebound advantage in favor of the former. Considering that two of Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid are on the court at nearly all times, losing the rebounding and physical battle is inexcusable. Being on the losing end of a game that they shot 47/83 (56.6 percent) from the field from has got to hurt for a team that’s been finding answers for its ailing offense all season long.

If anything, the Timberwolves could use some more playmaking and ballhandling stability to restore some balance to the roster. With Mike Conley being in the middle of a decline and Donte DiVincenzo assuming the starting role, finding a veteran playmaker to save Randle and Anthony Edwards from their worst habits could be useful for them to focus on with there being less than a month to go before the trade deadline.

No easy recourses for Minnesota in terms of upgrading the roster

Even with the Karl-Anthony Towns offseason trade, the Timberwolves are way past the second luxury tax apron, restricting them quite tightly in terms of their roster flexibility. For one, they cannot sign anyone off the buyout market unless that player’s salary is worth less than the taxpayer midlevel exception.

This then rules the Timberwolves out of a potential signing of Ben Simmons. Simmons won’t aid their spacing woes, but his passing ability and positional versatility could make him a solid table-setter in lineups alongside Edwards and with Reid at center. Alas, this is nothing but an impossibility, as they will have to trade for Simmons — an impossibility considering that the Brooklyn Nets point forward is making $40.3 million this season.

Malcolm Brogdon could be another potential target for the Timberwolves, but again, the new CBA will prevent Minnesota from signing him should he secure a buyout from the Washington Wizards. Brogdon’s $22.5 million is impossible to trade for as well.

For better or for worse, the Timberwolves will have to ride out their current roster and hope that Rob Dillingham blossoms into a long-term keeper at the point. That is, unless, they manage to find a trade involving Julius Randle that’s worth doing.

Anthony Edwards has to be more consistent

Anthony Edwards has been quite divisive this season. He has been brazen as ever, declaring himself as one of the best, if not the outright best, in the game. And yet here he is, complaining about double teams and settling for more three-pointers than ever, which is catching up to him in recent games.

Edwards hasn’t been as consistent as the Timberwolves would like. His increased three-point rate is enabling explosive scoring games, most notably his 53-point outburst against the Detroit Pistons, but it also leads to more off-nights than ever. Against the Grizzlies, he shot 4-13 from the field and 0-5 from beyond the arc.

Moving forward, Edwards cannot have this kind of variability in his performances. As the Timberwolves’ star, his production has to be more stable.

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