After reaching the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025, the Minnesota Timberwolves took a step back this year as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs battled through a seven-game series for a spot in the NBA Finals.
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves were eliminated by the Spurs in six games in the second round of the playoffs. San Antonio then knocked out Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals before falling to eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in five games.
Now, Minnesota is retooling. The Timberwolves pulled off a blockbuster trade for All-Star guard LaMelo Ball last month, pairing him with Edwards to form a new-look backcourt.
For Edwards, the move could finally give Minnesota enough firepower to get past the teams that have stood in its way.
"Against those two teams, I think we're going to beat them," Edwards told ESPN about the Timberwolves' chances against the Thunder and Spurs during his visit to Manila.
Before traveling to the Philippines, Edwards spent time in France with the Timberwolves and their new additions, including Ball and Josh Green. Green was part of the package sent to the Charlotte Hornets in the Ball trade, which also saw Minnesota give up versatile big man Naz Reid.
Edwards organized the trip himself, bringing the team around Paris' most famous landmarks on top of team workouts ahead of training camp next month.
Solid week 🙏🏽🐺🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/3KK9G2C15y
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) August 12, 2026
"I'm taking with me everybody, the whole gang," he said.
The timing could not have been better. With several new faces joining the roster, the Timberwolves needed time to build chemistry.
At the start of the offseason, Minnesota moved on from Julius Randle, its secondary scorer behind Edwards last season, sending him to the Brooklyn Nets for a second-round pick. Veteran guard Mike Conley also left in free agency for the Boston Celtics while Kyle Anderson signed with the Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves added veteran floor-spacer Trey Lyles on a one-year deal while re-signing Ayo Dosunmu and Jaylen Clark to multi-year contracts.
The Timberwolves will still have a solid supporting cast around Edwards and Ball, including Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr., among others. The team could also add more pieces in the next few weeks, given their thin frontcourt depth.
This comes at a pivotal point in Minnesota's championship window. The Thunder are hungry to reclaim the NBA championship. The Spurs just reached the NBA Finals and seemed to be peaking soon.
Both teams, as young as they are, have already sent Edwards and the Timberwolves home in consecutive postseasons.
Minnesota fell to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City in five games in the 2025 Western Conference Finals before Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio ended their run in the second round this year.
But Edwards is not looking that far ahead.
With Ball and several new pieces joining the fold, the Timberwolves star knows chemistry must come before any championship talk.
"It would mean a lot [to win a championship]... But right now, I don't think we're thinking about winning the championship," Edwards said. "It's step by step. We got LaMelo, a new player, and a bunch of new pieces."
"So, we are just trying to build it together and I think we're trying to gel it all together."
Edwards carried Minnesota offensively last season, averaging 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 61 regular-season games.
He also took on more point guard duties during the playoffs.
Now, with Ball beside him, Edwards does not expect to become a different player.
"That's the best part about me. I will still be the same person."