The Minnesota Timberwolves began the offseason with big aspirations. Fans wanted a star next to Anthony Edwards and the Wolves seemed to be hinting something big was coming after gaining a $33 million trade exemption after dealing Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
But any thought that the exemption would be used was doused in cold water when ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted the Timberwolves are unlikely to use the exemption and could have limited spending through the offseason.
“They could take on some money…but it seems like the spending…they agreed to Ayo Dosunmu’s contract at the same time they made this trade,” Windhorst said podcast. “It seems like that’s where the money is going to be.”
While Windhorst added “We’ll see” as a caveat, Windhorst’s colleague Tim MacMahon confirmed his thinking on the podcast and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski sent out his own post on X, saying he would be “incredibly surprised” if the Wolves used the exception.
This rolls out the red carpet for some of the Timberwolves’ younger players and sets the bar for Jaden McDaniels to become the No. 2 option in Minnesota’s offense.
Jaden McDaniels must finally take offensive leap after Timberwolves dump Julius Randle
McDaniels has long been held in high regard by the Timberwolves. When Tim Connelly pulled off the trade for Rudy Gobert, he insisted that he be kept out of the deal instead offering four first-round picks, a pick swap and five other players to get the deal done. Even this offseason, when Antetokounmpo was available, the Wolves wouldn’t change their stance on McDaniels.
That’s not a bad thing considering McDaniels is one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA. But his offense has left something to be desired, averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game during the 2025-26 season.
While those numbers aren’t awful, it shows what McDaniels has to clear in order for the Randle trade to be more than a salary dump. In two years in Minnesota, Randle averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game and also shot 48.2 percent from the floor.
Naz Reid could be called upon to replace some of that production as he moves into the starting lineup and his numbers playing with Rudy Gobert could be why Marc Stein of The Stein Line suggested that But while Reid could fill some of the void, McDaniels will have to pick up the rest of the tab.
While McDaniels' offensive game is growing, if a second star isn’t coming, the Wolves may need even more from him. Set to turn 26 in September, McDaniels has time to figure it out. But after dealing Randle away, the Wolves will need McDaniels to realize his potential quickly to build a championship-caliber supporting cast for Edwards.
