Anthony Edwards is reportedly pushing the Minnesota Timberwolves to pursue Kyrie Irving this offseason while the franchise simultaneously intensifies its long-running pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo. After another playoff exit, president Tim Connelly appears ready to make another aggressive superstar swing. Minnesota spent much of the 2025-26 season exploring pathways to a Giannis trade, including the possibility of involving multiple teams to make the finances and assets work.

According to insider Scoop B Robinson, Edwards has privately advocated for a healthy Irving to join him in Minnesota, believing the veteran guard’s shot creation and late-game playmaking could elevate the Timberwolves into true championship territory.

At the same time, Minnesota remains heavily involved in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. Robinson also noted that a potential reunion between Giannis and Jason Kidd in Minnesota is “not out of the question” following Kidd’s firing by new Dallas president Masai Ujiri earlier this week.

Darren Wolfson echoed that urgency Tuesday on the Flagrant Howls podcast.

“There is a ceiling on this roster. The Wolves realize that,” Wolfson said, adding that major roster changes are expected despite coach Chris Finch having full support from ownership.

Wolfson framed the issue simply: “For the next few years, how do you compete with the Spurs and Thunder? You need another superstar. They would love to acquire Giannis.”

Any realistic Antetokounmpo trade likely starts with Julius Randle, whose future in Minnesota has increasingly come into question after an inconsistent postseason.

Milwaukee is believed to be seeking premium draft capital and young talent in exchange for Giannis, and Minnesota now has its 2026 first-round pick at No. 28 available to include in trade discussions, a piece it did not control at the deadline.

Rudy Gobert’s $110M Deal Now a Complicating Factor as Wolves Weigh Options

The other major piece of the puzzle is the man who has anchored Minnesota’s defense for four seasons. Rudy Gobert has now become one of the franchise’s biggest roster questions.

Gobert signed a three-year, $109.5 million extension in October 2024 that runs through the 2027-28 season. But with Minnesota searching for another offensive star around Edwards, league executives are increasingly questioning whether Gobert’s massive cap number still fits the Timberwolves’ long-term vision.

Bleacher Report insider Jake Fischer recently highlighted those concerns during a livestream.

“Rudy Gobert, as much as he’s been an absolute floor raiser that helped Minnesota win significant games in the regular season year after year, his shortcomings offensively have been shown,” Fischer said. “He had a good series with Nikola Jokic this spring, but I do think there are starting to be some questions in Minnesota about the viability of Gobert long term.”

Gobert’s cap hit sits around $35 million this season before rising again in 2026-27, a difficult number for a second-apron team trying to add another superstar around Edwards.

Minnesota’s second-apron situation further complicates everything. The Timberwolves have limited flexibility to combine salaries in blockbuster trades, meaning any pursuit of Antetokounmpo or Irving would almost certainly require multiple rotation players to be moved.

Gobert’s contract, combined with his trade kicker, makes him both the most logical and most difficult major salary piece to move.

Now, should the Timberwolves fail to land Giannis in what figures to be a competitive market that includes the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, Randle’s days in Minnesota are still likely numbered, regardless, and the organisation would then need to pivot to alternative upgrades.

Edwards averaged 28.8 points per game on 48.9% shooting during the regular season, the highest-scoring campaign in Timberwolves franchise history.

But Minnesota’s second-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs reinforced a reality the organization can no longer ignore: Anthony Edwards needs another elite star beside him if the Timberwolves want to seriously challenge the Spurs and Thunder over the next several years.

Whether that star ends up being Giannis, Irving, or someone else entirely now becomes the defining question of Minnesota’s offseason.