The wait is finally over! The NBA regular season is back with a repeat of the preseason opener. Team USA pals Anthony Edwards and LeBron James are all set to lock horns at the Crypto.com Arena. Unlike the LA Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves underwent a serious change in their roster, losing one of their core members, Karl-Anthony Towns. While KAT’s absence reflected on their pre-season campaign with a 2-3 record, the Wolves have a positive injury update heading into the opener.

Even though we have an update regarding Julius Randle’s debut, this isn’t about him. It’s about Naz Reid, the Big Jelly. The 6 ‘9 forward, who missed out on the last two preseason games with a shoulder impingement, may suit up for the season opener. Underdog NBA on X reported that the hooper was “not listed” in the injury report ahead of the Lakers’ challenge.

So, there’s a possibility of witnessing the people’s favorite player in action on Tuesday. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year had a breakout season the last time he suited up for the Wolves, averaging a career-high 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds.

More importantly, the rising star’s performance instigated a popular notion of replacing Towns with him in the starting lineup. Ironically, it almost happened. But the only addition was they found a perfect replacement for KAT in Julius Randle.

Some may anticipate Naz Reid to take over the starting forward until Randle returns from his shoulder recovery. This is where we have another positive update. Well, not for Big Jelly fans. According to CBS Sports, JR is available for the season opener. He’ll be playing his first regular game since January 27. So, it’s safe to say that the Wolves will deploy a fully healthy roster for the Tuesday game.

Minnesota Timberwolves depth chart ahead of 2024-25 season

After a few notable changes in the free agency market, the Wolves remained almost unmoved throughout the off-season until the big bang. The team’s free agency can’t also be taken lightly, as they lost their beloved Slo-mo Kyle Anderson to the Golden State Warriors.

In return, the team took care of its depth with some crucial additions. For instance, the team retained reserve center Luka Garza and added perimeter shooter Jos Ingles, Jesse Edwards, and PJ Dozier. Above all, they sent out Karl-Anthony Towns and stacked their roster with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. And mind you, Anthony Edwards seemed pretty impressed by DiVincenzo. So, after all the offseason changes, here’s what the Wolves depth chart will look like.

So, the fans could witness the entire Wolves side on the floor for the opening game, along with Coach Chris Finch, who missed the majority of the postseason with an unfortunate courtside injury, rupturing his patella tendon, after Mike Conley crashed into him.

It will be an exciting day to be a Minnesota Timberwolves fan.