Minnesota Timberwolves

The NBA has fined Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards $25,000 for using profane language during media availability following the team's 107-90 win over the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 6.

Edwards knew the punishment was coming and didn't speak to the media after Sunday's 114-106 loss to the Warriors, saying he didn't want to get fined again for cursing.

Edwards—who finished with 27 points but shot 1-of-7 in the fourth quarter with two turnovers—was clearly frustrated after Sunday's loss, to the point that he could be overheard in the background of a locker room media scrum with Julius Randle loudly saying, "I just gotta f--king play better."

"I gotta find my teammates," he added. "F--king terrible by me."

The loss moved the Timberwolves to 12-11 on the season, in what has been an inconsistent start after the team went 56-26 a year ago. The Wolves had been trending up before Sunday, however, with the loss snapping a four-game winning streak.

"We've shown flashes," Randle told reporters. "Up and down, but we've shown flashes of who we can be, especially on the defensive end. We just gotta keep doing consistency with that."

Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, expressed optimism despite Sunday's loss.

"I like where we're at, not in terms of the standings, but more in terms of the things we've been through as a team and our awareness right now," he told reporters. "A game like tonight, we can exactly feel what happened. With that mindset, I think good things will happen. Now we just gotta keep each other accountable."

The Wolves are still adjusting to life without Karl-Anthony Towns, who was traded to the New York Knicks in early October for Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop and a future first-round pick as part of a three-team deal.

That has left Edwards to shoulder a large load offensively, and he's done so willingly, averaging 26.4 points on 20.3 attempts per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from three. His ratio of four assists to 3.1 turnovers per game, however, remains a work in progress, which was evident on Sunday.

The Minnesota Timberwolves could reportedly be active ahead of the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN reported that the Timberwolves have been labeled as "potential player" on the trade market prior to the Feb. 6 deadline and that improving from the team's current 11-10 record is the franchise's focus.

That's why Minnesota has been labeled by league decision-makers as a potential player between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Yes, the Wolves are coming off comfortable victories against the reeling Lakers and shorthanded Clippers, but they have higher aspirations than battling for the last play-in spot, which is where they currently sit.

Just because you're trading for talent, it has to be the right fit. They have to learn and adjust," a scout told Bontemps. "Making a trade that late [right before training camp] is hard. So I'm empathetic.

That start has Minnesota in 10th place in the Western Conference. While it's still early in the season, that would represent the final play-in spot and that is not where a team that reached the conference finals in 2024 expected to be.

Additionally, Minnesota dealt away star center Karl-Anthony Towns late in the offseason to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, among other assets. While that move theoretically added more depth to the core around Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert, the early returns have not exactly produced the intended results.

Edwards is averaging 26.2 points, Randle is averaging 21, Reid is averaging 13 and Gobert is averaging 10.6. Adding some more depth scoring could be beneficial to the Timberwolves' chances of advancing up the standings.

Minnesota Timberwolves superstar guard Anthony Edwards sounded off Wednesday amid the team's struggles so far this season.

Speaking to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Edwards specifically commented on the home fans booing the T-Wolves during Wednesday's 115-104 loss to the Sacramento Kings at the Target Center in Minneapolis:

"However many of us it is, all 15, we go into our own shell and we're just growing away from each other. It's obvious. We can see it. I can see it, the team can see it, the coaches can see it. The fans f--king booing us. That [stuff] is crazy, man. We're getting booed in our home arena. That's so f--king disrespectful, it's crazy."

The loss to Sacramento marked the Timberwolves' fourth loss in a row overall, as they previously dropped games against the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets.

Minnesota is nows 8-10 on the season, which marks a huge fall from grace compared to last season when the team went 56-26 and reached the Western Conference Finals.

Despite their success last season, the Timberwolves surprisingly made a blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks during the offseason, sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick.

With the Knicks, Towns is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 26.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

Randle has been solid for the T-Wolves with averages of 21.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, but DiVincenzo has been a virtual non-factor, averaging just 8.9 points and shooting 34.8 percent from the field.

Edwards has been a bright spot, averaging 28.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest, but the two-time All-Star hasn't gotten enough help from his supporting cast to deliver winning basketball on a consistent basis.

The T-Wolves missed the playoffs in 13 straight seasons from 2005 to 2017 and hadn't won a playoff series since 2004, but expectations clearly changed with their deep run last season.

Minnesota would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today, but it isn't even a quarter of the way over, meaning there will be plenty of opportunities to right the ship.

There are two games remaining on the Timberwolves' homestand, as they will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday and Los Angeles Lakers on Monday before embarking on a three-game road trip out west.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards called out his teammates after the Timberwolves lost to the Sacramento Kings 115-104 on Thanksgiving Eve.

"It's like we're not even happy for each other out there," Edwards said to Rudy Gobert after the game, according to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski. "I've never seen nothing like this in my life."

The Timberwolves have started the season 8-10 and are currently in a four-game losing streak, while having lost seven of their last nine games. The team is clearly facing internal turmoil despite its veteran core and a roster that has been together for more than just this season, which Edwards discussed, per Krawczynski:

We're just so negative right now. Last couple years, we was like this.. And I just feel like we've gradually grown away from each other, which is the craziest thing, because most of us have been together. We've got two new players, that's about it. Everybody else has been together.

"We soft as hell as a team ... just a bunch of little kids." 😳

Anthony Edwards on the current state of the T'Wolves after their 4th straight loss

(via @SneakerReporter) pic.twitter.com/YiFe70sftE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 28, 2024

With just 18 games under their belt, it's still early in the season for the Timberwolves. However, it will take more than simply overcoming a few losses for this team to come together as a cohesive unit and rekindle hopes of another Western Conference Finals run like last season.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards didn't hold his feelings back after his team's 115-104 home loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Ant: "I think it’s we soft as hell as a team, internally. Not to the other team, but internally, we soft. We can’t talk to each other. Just a bunch of little kids."

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) November 28, 2024

Travis Singleton captured more of Edwards' comments, specifically what he meant by calling the Timberwolves "frontrunners" on Wednesday.

Anthony Edwards went in full detail about what exactly a front runner is tonight.

This postgame interview from Ant shows a lot of growth and it will bring this team together. pic.twitter.com/9KDQ5YRbkw

— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) November 28, 2024

Based on Edwards' tone and remarks, he clearly wasn't unabatedly bashing his team. He told it like it was in the midst of a losing streak and even took ownership himself, using "we" to include himself in the criticism and calling himself a frontrunner on this night, too.

And in regards to what he meant, Edwards basically said the team allowed itself to get too high when things were going well and invited too much negative energy and emotion when things weren't.

Wednesday was a seesaw game that saw the Kings outscore the Timberwolves 38-24 in the second quarter for a 69-57 halftime edge. Minnesota fought back, though, by playing great defense en route to outscoring Sacramento 29-12 in the third. However, Sacramento then scored 34 to the Timberwolves' 18 in the fourth for the 11-point win.

It's a tough defeat for a Minnesota team that went 56-26 last year. That mark was good enough for the Western Conference's third seed. Minnesota upset the then-defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the second round before falling to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals.

The Timberwolves had high hopes going into this season but made a seismic trade along the way, dealing longtime franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

For whatever reason, things haven't clicked in Minnesota, which is now 8-10 after a four-game losing streak. That's dropped the Timberwolves to 12th in the Western Conference.

We'll see if Edwards' motivational comments can wake the team up soon enough when Minnesota hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

Anthony Edwards' spike in three-point shooting this season is entirely by design, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

Windhorst reported at the 11:07 mark in the newest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast the Minnesota Timberwolves "want Ant to shoot a ton of threes." He added that Minnesota becoming a higher-volume team on the perimeter is not "happening by fluke."

Edwards is averaging 4.9 made three-pointers on 11.1 attempts through 16 games. His previous high for attempts was 8.4, so he's really getting the green light from deep.

The two-time All-Star hasn't seen his efficiency suffer, either. He's shooting 43.8 percent on threes, well above his career average (36.0 percent).

Windhorst explained the Wolves went into the offseason with the idea of changing their offensive focus a bit after finishing 23rd in three-point attempts (32.7 per game) in 2023-24.

Acquiring Donte DiVincenzo from the New York Knicks in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade was part of that strategy. Towns is rightfully regarded as one of the best shooting big men in NBA history, but DiVincenzo is both taking (7.1) and making (2.4) more threes than KAT did in his final year with Minnesota.

The Timberwolves obviously dealt Towns with an eye toward having Edwards become more of a pure shooter as well.

The overall results are encouraging. Beyond Edwards' production, Minnesota is tied for fifth in made three-pointers per game (15.5) and has gone from 17th in offensive rating (114.6) up to ninth (114.2), per NBA.com.

Head coach Chris Finch is still waiting for that improvement to be reflected in the standings, though. The Wolves are 8-8 after dropping their last two games and sit 11th in the Western Conference. Still, only two games separate them from the Los Angeles Lakers in fourth, so they're only one solid winning streak away from significantly altering their position in the playoff race.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are off to an 8-7 start, hardly the jump the team wanted to get on a season following an appearance in the Western Conference Finals and amid lofty expectations for the club.

Could other teams already be exploring trades for some of Minnesota's assets, including Donte DiVincenzo, who was acquired as part of the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks?

It appears that way.

Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reported: "DiVincenzo is being viewed as a possible trade candidate for several contending teams around the league, sources said. While the Timberwolves value DiVincenzo's skill set, the 27-year-old combo guard was not thrilled with the idea of coming off the bench after being traded."

Siegel added that, with the Timberwolves firmly entrenched in that second salary-cap tier, trading DiVincenzo would give them a little breathing room. Still, despite his own less-than-deal situation, the team's slow start and the rumors, Siegel added: "Right now, there are no indications that the Timberwolves will want to move their newly acquired guard."

DiVincenzo is coming off one of his best seasons in the NBA, in which he played 29.1 minutes per game, scored 15.5 points a night, shot 44.3 percent from the field and 40.1 from beyond the arc and added 3.7 rebounds.

Donte DiVincenzo NAILS the triple 👌pic.twitter.com/evFYssqZe4

— Timberwolves Nation (@TWolvesNationCP) November 22, 2024

The 27-year-old has not lived up to those numbers thus far in his run in Minnesota but just 15 games in, with a more limited role than he had in New York as a bench player, he should not have been expected to.

It is early in the season. And the guard has not found his spot yet and head coach Chris Finch is still figuring out what he has after a trade late in the offseason that shook up the roster.

DiVincenzo is still supplying 9.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. His shooting percentages are down, but they will improve with more opportunities.

Those opportunities will almost certainly present themselves as the long NBA season continues. As long as Finch can keep him focused and not let the frustration of his current role consume him, DiVincenzo will be a significant part of the T-Wolves as the organization looks to push into the playoffs and contend for a championship again.

Trading him and letting him be the X-factor for another team, such as fellow Western Conference-contending Golden State Warriors, would be a major mistake and potentially risk ruining the chemistry of a team still searching for it.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo "is being viewed as a possible trade candidate for several contending teams," per Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.

"Donte DiVincenzo is being viewed as a possible trade candidate for several contending teams around the league, sources said. While the Timberwolves value DiVincenzo's skillset, the 27-year-old combo guard was not thrilled with the idea of coming off the bench after being traded. For a second apron team like Minnesota, moving DiVincenzo could help create a little bit of flexibility and a path to moving out of the second apron next offseason. Right now, there are no indications that the Timberwolves will want to move their newly acquired guard."

The Timberwolves just acquired DiVincenzo and Julius Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns on Oct. 2, so this report is a surprising development fewer than two months after the ex-Villanova star landed in Minneapolis.

Through 15 games (all off the bench), DiVincenzo has struggled offensively, scoring 9.5 points on 34.8 percent shooting (32.4 percent from three).

However, he's only one year removed from a good season in New York, where he scored 15.5 points per game on 44.3 percent shooting (40.1 percent from three).

As for a potential landing spot via trade, Siegel posted the Golden State Warriors. DiVincenzo played in Golden State during the 2022-23 season, averaging 9.4 points over 72 games (36 starts). With De'Anthony Melton (torn ACL) out for the season, the Warriors could use another guard for the rotation.

Per Siegel:

"Donte DiVincenzo, Jordan Clarkson, Matisse Thybulle, and Pat Connaughton are worth mentioning in connection to the Dubs, seeing as they all make less than what Melton is earning this year. Other than Connaughton, none of these players are viewed as definite trade candidates for any team this season.

"The Minnesota Timberwolves just acquired DiVincenzo in their blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns trade with the New York Knicks, and head coach Chris Finch is very fond of the combo guard's abilities on both ends of the court. The problem is that his role has fluctuated since arriving in Minnesota, and the Timberwolves are struggling at 8-7 overall. Should tensions continue to rise, various teams around the league will be monitoring DiVincenzo's availability. He was a player the Warriors really wanted to keep before he signed a four-year deal with the Knicks in 2023."

It's been a rough start for Minnesota, which has gone 8-7 after a 56-26 season last year that ended with a Western Conference Finals appearance. The Timberwolves sit 10th place and are one of six teams that have an 8-7 or 9-7 record. So Minnesota has some work to do in the Western Conference to break through the mediocrity.

Although he's off to a slow start, DiVincenzo can certainly be part of the solution for an improved season. He proved his value during last season's playoffs, averaging the second-most points per game (17.8) on the Knicks. If given the chance, DiVincenzo can shine and lead Minnesota to greater heights.

The biggest issue is that fluctuating role, as Siegel said. He doesn't seem to fit as well with Minnesota as he did with the Knicks, especially at the end of the season. Perhaps head coach Chris Finch finds a solution to that problem and all becomes well after Minnesota shook up its core with the Towns trade.

Or maybe there's something to this Siegel report and Minnesota does deal DiVincenzo away. It would still be a stunning move given his short tenure in town and the high hopes Minnesota certainly had with this deal, even if it meant trading a franchise cornerstone in Towns.

For now, DiVincenzo remains in Minnesota, which looks to stay above .500 on Sunday with a tough road game at the Boston Celtics.

An unfortunate streak continued for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

Minnesota fell 110-105 to the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. This clinched the continuation of the Timberwolves struggles in Toronto, as the team has not claimed a victory north of the border since January 21, 2004.

The Timberwolves haven't won in Toronto in over 20 YEARS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/I6Oo5Axa5X

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 22, 2024

As the losing streak in Canada extended to 20 games, fans took to social media to roast the Timberwolves.

The stat that keeps on giving. The Timberwolves have lost 20 straight games in Toronto, dating back more than 20 years. The lineups from Minnesota's last win in Canada (Jan. 21, 2004): pic.twitter.com/Z4xptpJstn

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) November 22, 2024

https://t.co/j0n1WL3Bic pic.twitter.com/aU8OQGcEOO

— Nuke (@nukeman82) November 22, 2024

i wasn’t even alive that’s insane

— Mason 🏀📈 (@MasonMovess) November 22, 2024

Ant was 3 the last time the wolves won in Toronto lol

— TDD👨🏿‍💻 (@dantastic4_) November 22, 2024

We should get ant for compensation

— clutch (@hashi_abdullah) November 22, 2024

The Timberwolves lost in Toronto again. Minnesota has not won in Toronto since January 21, 2004, 7,610 days ago (20 years and 310 days)*.

But wait, it's not the record. The longest such span in @NBA history belongs to the Bucks, who have not won a game in Phoenix for 9,462 days… pic.twitter.com/UUF6OgXx41

— Crazy Stats (@NBAcrazystats) November 22, 2024

The streak lives!!

Timberwolves have lost 20 consecutive games in Toronto! https://t.co/x0UCkI9ykh

— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) November 22, 2024

I just want to see the Timberwolves win one in Toronto before I die

— jakes graphs (@jakesgraphs) November 22, 2024

The last win the Timberwolves got in Toronto was January 21, 2004 pic.twitter.com/HLZy2TfLWT

— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) November 22, 2024

It's perfectly ok to be mad at how it happened, but it's important to remember that the Timberwolves winning in Toronto is also impossible and will never happen https://t.co/YwgmDIdRrk

— Brandon Beck (@BrandonBeck4) November 22, 2024

Wolves losing in Toronto is basically a lock

— Timberwolves Talk (@LetsTalk_Wolves) November 22, 2024

This season looked like a prime opportunity to break that streak. The Timberwolves entered the game with an 8-6 record and are an ascending team that reached the Western Conference Finals last season. Toronto, on the other hand, entered at 3-12 and are fully in rebuilding mode.

RJ Barrett was the star of the day for Toronto, scoring 31 points with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Chris Boucher contributed 22 points off the bench while Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl contributed 17 and 15 points respectively.

Anthony Edwards' 26 points led the Timberwolves while Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels had 23 and 22 points respectively. However, a 33-26 advantage for Toronto in the final quarter tipped the scale and allowed the team to keep the streak alive.

Minnesota's next opportunity to end the streak will not come until 2025-26, barring a Finals run for both teams this season.

Sunday's game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns should have gone to overtime.

While Julius Randle won the game for the Timberwolves with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, the NBA announced in Monday's last-two minute report that he traveled before the shot. The Suns may take solace in knowing there was a mistake, but Minnesota still won the game 120-117 and avoided overtime because of the shot.

Step-back... falling away... GAME. #TissotBuzzerBeater https://t.co/djoEUmDll2 pic.twitter.com/Qr9FmDNMhc

— NBA (@NBA) November 17, 2024

In the moment, there was more focus on a potential offensive foul than a travel violation as Randle appeared to push off on Josh Okogie. However, the NBA said in the last-two minute report the officials made the correct decision to not blow their whistle.

"Randle (MIN) places his off-arm against Okogie (PHX) and releases from contact as he steps back into his shot attempt," it said. "Okogie is not dislodged from his defensive position as a result of illegal contact from Randle."

Monday's report does nothing to change the final result, and the Timberwolves have now won two in a row following a three-game losing streak.

Randle was excellent and finished with 35 points, seven assists and four rebounds behind 11-of-20 shooting from the field and 5-of-11 shooting from deep. The game-winner was his first headline moment for the Timberwolves after they acquired him from the New York Knicks in the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple.

It was also his third straight game with at least 20 points, and he appears to be settling into his role with a new team.

That is welcome news for Minnesota, which needs him to be an offensive force when opposing defenses are focused on slowing down Anthony Edwards. If Randle can do that, the Timberwolves will be better suited to replicate Towns' lost production in the daunting Western Conference.

As for the Suns, they have now lost three in a row following a quick 9-2 start.

There was surely more frustration than usual following the controversial loss given the recent struggles, but they have the opportunity to quickly bounce back in Monday's home game against the Orlando Magic.