Why Timberwolves’ Chris Finch Predicts Both ‘Pretty Big Learning Curve,’ ‘Flexibility’ Following Karl-Anthony Towns Trade

Instead of maintaining continuity after making their deepest playoff push in 20 years, the Minnesota Timberwolves dealt their franchise player in a move that raises various questions.

The first: How do the Wolves adjust without Karl-Anthony Towns’ paint presence, outside shooting and leadership?

“There will be a pretty big learning curve,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “I’m pretty confident that there are going to be rough edges that we want to smooth out.”

Minnesota traded Towns just before training camp partly amid financial concerns. It didn’t appear sustainable to retain Towns’ four-year, $220.4 million contract in addition to long-term commitments to Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert for various reasons. They would receive league-imposed second-apron penalties, and they face uncertainty on how owner Glen Taylor will finalize a pending sale.

Even if Finch anticipates turbulence ahead, he still believes the Wolves have enough guardrails partly because of what they inherited in the deal. Though it came at the cost of trading Towns to the New York Knicks, Minnesota acquired a bruising playmaker (Julius Randle), a proven shooter (Donte DiVincenzo) and a future first-round pick.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a teardown,” Finch said. “Every year, we go into the season with the same kind of framework with what we want to try to do. But we feel like there’s enough flexibility to figure out what we might lean on.”

The Wolves will lean on the key players that ensured a first-round sweep against the Phoenix Suns, a successful seven-game series against the NBA’s defending champions (Denver Nuggets) and a five-game series loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals. That includes a rising star that just won his first Olympic gold medal (Edwards), a four-time Defensive Player of the Year (Gobert), the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year (Naz Reid), a steady veteran point guard (Mike Conley) and an emerging two-way player (Jaden McDaniels).

“We’re a deep team. We’re a team that can go pretty far,” Reid said. “We can go as far as we take ourselves.”

The Wolves’ playoff trajectory arguably hinges on how they combine all of those elements together. But do they have the right ingredients?

Finch described DiVincenzo as “a plug-and-play” player for his enduring consistency with his 3-point shooting, ball handling and perimeter defense as well as his ability to play on and off the ball. But Finch and Randle both conceded uncertainty with how he will complement Gobert before stressing Randle just needs on-court practice and game reps.

“I see us fitting together extremely well,” Randle said. “If you look at my career and the places that I’ve been and the things that I’ve done. I think the biggest thing I pride myself on is adaptability.”

Maybe so. During his 10-season NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers (2014-18), New Orleans Pelicans (2018-19) and Knicks (2019-24), Randle increasingly developed as a strong point forward that could make plays, drive and kick, and finish at the rim. Towns became Minnesota’s franchise player in the past nine years for much different reasons, though, with his post presence, 3-point shooting and selflessness.

The Wolves initially struggled to integrate Gobert and Towns in the 2022-23 season only because of lacking on-court time together. Since then, Gobert’s rim protection shielded Towns’ defensive weaknesses, while Towns’ offensive versatility protected Gobert from his limited offensive game. How long will it take for Gobert and Randle to form a formidable frontcourt? Shorter? Longer? Though both Gobert and Randle expressed enthusiasm about the pairing, they may show initial struggles with their spacing and Randle’s diminished 3-point threat.

Minnesota hopes to mitigate that by ensuring it remains a top defensive team. Perhaps that could enable the Wolves to become a better fast-break and 3-point-shooting team, too. That explains Finch’s plan to grant Randle more playmaking duties.

“My only thing is I want to help in any way needed. There’s a tremendous amount of talent here,” Randle said. “Finchy is a great coach. So whatever is asked of me, I’m going to do. I just want to help get us over that hump and win. At this stage of my career, all that matters is winning. I’ve accomplished a lot of great things on the individual scale. But I want to win at this stage of my career. I’m extremely excited and blessed to have this opportunity.”

Randle did not play in Minnesota’s preseason opener last week against the Lakers in Palm Desert, California, joking that his preseason workload might remain limited so he has time to find a house in Minneapolis. Neither did Edwards, who spent much of his offseason helping Team USA win a gold medal in the Paris Olympics as a consistent secondary scorer.

After the Wolves finished their morning shootaround last Friday, however, both Randle and Edwards completed individual shooting workouts on separate baskets. Finch said he plans to play Randle and Edwards in Friday’s home exhibition against the Philadelphia 76ers. Then, the Wolves will first see how the 23-year-old Edwards can take his game to another level. As Randle said, “He has the chance to be one of the greatest players ever.”

And by dealing Towns, Minnesota became increasingly comfortable with Edwards becoming the team’s franchise player. He already made two All-Star appearances because of his athleticism, outside shooting and defense. He initially deferred to his veteran teammates out of respect for their stature, but they encouraged him to become more vocal. When Towns missed substantial time in 2022-23 (53 games with strained right calf) and in 2023-24 (18 games with a meniscus tear in his left knee), Edwards inherited additional shooting and leadership responsibilities. When Edwards trash talked Suns forward Kevin Durant after making consecutive 3s over him in the playoffs, Edwards conveyed with his play and confidence that he can become the NBA’s next generational star.

“This is nothing for him. He’s going to embrace it,” Reid said of Edwards. “I think it’s something he’s already been trying to do and transitioning into that role and guy who is a leader. He’s only in his fifth year. So he has a lot more to grow. But he definitely knows what it feels like to be in that transition into being a leader.”

Yet Edwards also realized that he can’t always soar in pressure-packed playoff games as seamlessly as when he throws down high-flying dunks.

In Minnesota’s loss to Dallas in the Western Conference finals, Edwards shot below 50% in four of the five games while committing 3.4 turnovers per contest. Throughout the series, Edwards reported feeling fatigued from the Wolves’ exhausting seven-game series against Denver. Afterward, Edwards said he needs “to train as if I’m going to go to the playoffs.”

After the Olympics ended in mid-August, Finch said Edwards quickly returned to Minnesota and trained at the team’s facility. Though Minnesota often has praised Edwards’ work ethic since drafting him No. 1 in 2019, Edwards typically worked out at home with his personal trainer. Finch observed the slight change resulted in Edwards entering training camp with the unspecified weight, body-fat percentage and conditioning the Wolves hoped their star player would have.

“All of that stuff is right on point where it needs to be,” Finch said. “Oftentimes, people come into camp, and that’s not the case. But to me, that indicates how focused he is on what he knows he needs to make a long run.”

Lastly, Finch projected Minnesota can compensate for Towns’ absence with a by-committee approach.

Finch envisions that Conley can increase his scoring load relatively. Finch believes Reid can continue his stellar consistency as a two-way frontcourt player. Finch expresses hope that McDaniel can assume more playmaking duties after mostly helping the Wolves on perimeter defense.

Reid maintains that he and the team feel “super comfortable” with the franchise’s direction. Only the games will truly reveal the Wolves’ feelings, a time that could expose Minnesota’s vulnerabilities or strengths following Towns’ departure.

M ark Medina is an NBA contributor for Athlon Sports. Follow him on X , Instagram , Facebook and Threads .