Sports

Timberwolves still face brutal reality despite Thunder’s summer of savings

Dunking with Wolves · Jul 21, 2026 20:00 · 3 min read

Timberwolves still face brutal reality despite Thunder’s summer of savings — Feb 2, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite several departures, the Oklahoma City Thunder are well-stocked to be a pain for the Minnesota Timberwolves next season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been busy this offseason with one goal in mind: to close the gap in the Western Conference. While the Wolves have gotten better with the addition of LaMelo Ball, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are still sitting above them in the pecking order, and it’s even more impressive considering the Thunder have done everything they can to shed payroll this offseason.

The Thunder began its cost-cutting crusade by trading Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks and Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons. It continued this week when they traded Lu Dort to the Hawks as part of a three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks that brought back three second-round draft picks and a $17 million trade exception.

The departure of Wiggins, Joe and Dort would seem to suggest that the Wolves have made up ground to catch the Thunder next season. But those deals may have actually made the Thunder better, with a frontcourt that could still cause massive pain for the Wolves next year.

The Thunder are still an obstacle the Wolves must overcome to win a championship

The Wolves have created a more dynamic team by trading for Ball to pair with Anthony Edwards in the backcourt. But it came at a cost, as it left a massive hole in the frontcourt.

Rudy Gobert is still at center as a defensive stalwart, but the power forward position remains a big mystery. The departures of Julius Randle and Naz Reid blew the power forward room wide open, and the Wolves don’t have an obvious replacement on the roster.

Having Gobert play with a non-traditional power forward could be one way to unlock his offensive abilities, but it puts more pressure on him defensively. This is especially true for a team like the Thunder, which still has plenty of muscle in its frontcourt and players on the perimeter who could test Gobert when they get to the rim.

That began with what the Thunder did with their money this offseason. Isaiah Hartenstein declined his initial option in his contract but returned to Oklahoma City on a three-year, $75 million contract. It also looked like Kenrich Williams would be on the way out when the Thunder declined his option, but he returned on a one-year, $5 million contract.

Oklahoma City then filled the rest of their holes with cheap talent, picking up 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick in the draft and adding Bennett Stirtz with the 16th overall pick to provide a sharp-shooting replacement for Joe.

There’s also the flexibility the Thunder have moving forward. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Hartenstein and Alex Caruso still on the roster, the Thunder could get even better if they hammer out a rookie extension with Cason Wallace before the season.

With a treasure chest full of young talent and draft picks, the Thunder could get even better ahead of the deadline and bring a tall mountain to climb.

And with the dream of luring LeBron James to Minnesota feeling less likely as he mulls over a decision, the Wolves’ lack of size is a concern in a conference that also features Victor Wembanyama.

But in case Wolves fans were expecting the demise of the Thunder with their recent moves, they remain an elite team, and one of the biggest obstacles Minnesota has to overcome to win a championship.