Timberwolves vow aggressive offseason after third straight playoff exit
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MINNEAPOLIS — May 20, 2026 — Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said the franchise will pursue every available avenue to reach the NBA’s elite after a third consecutive postseason elimination highlighted the gap between the Wolves and the league’s championship contenders.
Speaking Tuesday at the team’s season-ending news conference, Connelly acknowledged that back-to-back second-round defeats and a string of lopsided closeout losses underscore the need for significant improvement.
“We have a lot of confidence in our guys,” Connelly said, “but it would be disingenuous to sit in front of this group and say we’re happy with the sixth seed … we know that we’re not good enough right now.”
Playoff shortcomings
Minnesota was ousted last week when the San Antonio Spurs wrapped up their second-round series with a 30-point victory. One year earlier, the Oklahoma City Thunder dispatched the Wolves in five games in the Western Conference finals, ending that series with a 30-point rout. In 2024, the Dallas Mavericks needed only five games to eliminate Minnesota in the conference finals, closing that matchup with a 21-point win.
Internal and external fixes
Connelly said roster upgrades will come both from player development and from outside acquisitions. The Timberwolves hold the No. 28 pick in the first round and No. 59 in the second round of this year’s draft—assets unlikely to swing major trades—so the front office may have to part with core players to make meaningful additions.
“We know our competition is not going to sit still, and nor will we,” Connelly noted. “If we mess up, we’ll mess up loudly. We’re going to try to be as aggressive as possible.”
Injury concerns and roster questions
Any offseason plan must account for starting guard Donte DiVincenzo, who faces an indefinite recovery from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in the final year of his contract. Connelly said replacing DiVincenzo’s perimeter shooting is a priority while the club waits for his return.
Speculation also surrounds power forward Julius Randle after a difficult postseason in which he posted a minus-93 combined plus-minus in the Wolves’ four losses to San Antonio. Connelly declined to say whether Randle remains part of the organization’s long-term vision, stressing that improvement must be collective.
“We don’t win because of one player, lose because of one player,” he said. “They were clearly the better team, and we have to look at the collective — me included — to ensure we don’t see the same result next season.”
The Timberwolves enter the summer determined to close the gap on Western Conference powers San Antonio and Oklahoma City, teams Connelly described as young, mentally tough and defensively sound.
Source: ESPN
