A Kawhi Leonard, 4-team blockbuster trade involving the Miami Heat

Minnesota Timberwolves

While they made significant strides last season, the Timberwolves nonetheless became exposed in the playoffs, and were unable to keep pace with the Houston Rockets in their first round matchup.

While the addition of Jimmy Butler was critical to their success, the future of the franchise starts and ends with center Karl-Anthony Towns. The No. 1 overall pick in 2015, Towns was selected to his first All-Star game this past season, and at 22 is simply an untraceable commodity.

In addition to Towns, Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 overall selection in 2014, is another significant piece to the puzzle. Signed to a five-year, $146 million deal on the eve of the season, Wiggins’ year didn’t pan out as he or the franchised anticipated, with his scoring output dropping from 23.6 to 17.7 points per game.

However at just 23 years of age, and one of the most explosive athletes in the league, it would be unwise for the Timberwolves to give up on Wiggins after just four seasons in the league. Furthermore, the size and length of his new deal will make it increasingly difficult to find suitable remuneration should the team decide to break ties with the 6’8″ Canadian.

Recently, the following report was released that detailed Butler’s own uncertainty about Wiggins moving forward:

Above all else, an area in which they need to seriously address this offseason is their 3-point shooting. Last season, the Timberwolves ranked dead last in both 3-pointers attempted and made, while ranking 19th overall in shooting percentage from downtown. Furthermore, the fact that Towns who was their most prolific shooter from distance demonstrates just how limited the team was in firing away from long range.

Therefore, it goes without saying that this should be a significant priority on the eve of the draft and free agency period.