Timberwolves Interested in Kawhi Leonard?

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Kawhi Leonard being guarded by Anthony Edwards: Los Angeles Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves will begin their first round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon, as they begin a postseason journey they hope will lead to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Of course, experts will laugh at that pipedream. Over at ESPN this week, all twelve of their NBA experts picked the Nuggets to win in five to seven games. The Sportsbooks aren’t optimistic in the Wolves making another playoff run either, currently putting Minnesota odds of winning the West at +4000.

But no matter what happens over the next couple weeks, or months, depending on how long the Timberwolves can stay alive, the upcoming offseason promises change.

Minnesota Timberwolves made late push for Kawhi Leonard; Likely still interested

Just like before the trade deadline, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly is expected to be in the running for Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose exit from Milwaukee is inevitable, at this point.

But on Friday, a new rumored superstar target from the 2026 NBA trade deadline surfaced, and it sounds like he too could be on Minnesota’s radar again this offseason. That player is Clippers forward, Kawhi Leonard.

According to Brett Siegel (Clutch Points), the Wolves were indeed calling on Leonard’s availability before the trade deadline too (43:25 mark – video below).

“The Heat aren’t the only team that’s going to pursue him. We’ve heard rumors about the Warriors, we’ve heard rumors about the Minnesota Timberwolves making a late run for Kawhi Leonard at the trade deadline, so there’s going to be a lot of teams in the mix [this offseason].”

Brett Siegel – Clutch Points (YouTube)

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This report doesn’t surprise me. Darren Wolfson (KSTP) spoke on SKOR North earlier in the week about how big roster changes are expected this offseason at Mayo Clinic Square, especially should the Minnesota Timberwolves suffer a first round exit.

Is Leonard worth chasing at his age?

Leonard hasn’t been the healthiest player in the league, over the past half-decade. However, when he’s on the floor, he continues to prove he is one of the best players in the NBA, even at 34 years old.

This season, Kawhi — a 2x Finals MVP — made his seventh All-Star team, averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game (32.1 MPG). It was the best version of Kawhi Leonard since he finished 5th in MVP voting back in 2019-20.

And believe it or not, he played the minimum number of games (65) to be eligible for postseason awards. Leonard has one year remaining on his current deal, at $50 million per year, so the MN Timberwolves would have pull off a blockbuster to get him here.

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