The Minnesota Timberwolves are always the bridesmaid, and never the bride. At the very least, that has been the case these past two seasons.
In 2024, the Timberwolves were bounced 4-1 by the Dallas Mavericks. In 2025, it was the Oklahoma City Thunder who had the honors of repeating that same feat, sending Minnesota home in five games once more.
This puts the Timberwolves in a bind. With contract decisions coming up for a handful of key players, and an ownership change putting them in a tough spot financially, next year's Minnesota team may look a lot different to this one.
Teams around the league will be hoping to pick the bones of the Timberwolves' corpse. The Los Angeles Lakers will be no exception to the getting in on the fun.
Several key targets worth monitoring for the Lakers
A team does not make back-to-back Conference Finals appearances without having significant talent on the roster. There are players up and down the Timberwolves core that would make fine additions for any organization, but especially the Lakers.
Simply put, there was a reason the Timberwolves handled the Lakers the way they did in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. That is because Minnesota has a lot of the positive team-building qualities that Los Angeles currently lacks.
For starters, the Timberwolves have a strong rotational group in their frontcourt. Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid provide their team with options on how to deploy the offense and defense down low. However, two of those three are at major crossroads with their contracts.
Randle and Reid both have player options for the 2025-26 season. Back in late February, Jake Fischer reported that while Randle is expected to pick up his option, Reid is not.
Does this put Los Angeles in a spot to potentially poach the former Sixth Man of the Year? Perhaps, but it would likely take a sign-and-trade depending on what Reid's next contract is projected to look like.
If the Timberwolves manage to retain the services of both, Fischer indicated in that same report that it could make Nickeil Alexander-Walker the odd man out in Minnesota. The two-way wing is set to hit unrestricted free agency and would certainly be the type of player the Lakers would drool over.
For argument's sake, imagining a world where the Timberwolves retain all three is also imagining a world where they likely have to part with someone else from their rotation as a cost-saving move. Two names would be intriguing to watch in that situation.
It is tough to think someone like Jaden McDaniels would be one of those players. However, if for whatever reason the Timberwolves forward was made available, that is a situation the Lakers need to sell out for.
A more realistic name to monitor would be someone like Donte DiVincenzo. Being a very productive role player and having a team-friendly contract make the Timberwolves guard very desirable for a trade suitor like Los Angeles.
There would be no better way to save money for the Timberwolves than dumping Gobert's contract on another team. However, with over $100 million left on his deal, few opposing franchises will be jumping at the idea.
The Lakers will certainly have an opportunity to seize with the Timberwolves' financial crunch. At this point, it will be a matter to see which doors are opened for them during the offseason.