Wolves looking to build around Anthony Edwards now and in the future

It's clear Tim Connelly's goal is to maximize Edwards' window.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) warms up before Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center in Minneapolis on May 30, 2024. / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

It's clear the Timberwolves have a vision, and that's to build around Anthony Edwards.

Friday's stunning trade that sent All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop and a protected first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons was the latest revelation that Edwards is the future of the franchise.

While Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was unable to comment on the trade at the team's media day on Monday with the trade not yet official, it was clear the team's vision is to establish a competitive roster around Edwards, not just for the now, but for the future.

"Our goal is to be a championship-level team," Connelly said. "We think we're at that point, and we certainly haven't done that, but we think we belong in the discussion, and we want to be a sustained-success team. We want to have different iterations around (Edwards).

"He's so young, so we're going to see various teams built around him. We're super excited about where we are now, and we're excited about where we're going to be in the future."

While he wasn't explicitly referencing the trade, the deal with the Knicks does set the Wolves up for the present and the future. The addition of Randle in the now keeps the team competitive next season. But Randle also has a player option after this season, one the three-time All-Star could opt out of and hit free agency. That would allow the Wolves to shed some salary.

But the Wolves also have the flexibility to re-sign Randle, and DiVincenzo, whom the Wolves had long wanted, has three years remaining on his contract, which is a team-friendly deal.

The Timberwolves were willing to part with Towns because of their belief in Edwards. Connelly said they believe Edwards can be among the best players ever. With that belief comes the goal to maximize Edwards' window for as long as possible. Connelly knows Edwards is doing it the right way, calling his habits "elite." Edwards knows that the only path to the top is through hard work.

"We continue to challenge (Edwards) because we think he can be one of the best players ever, and we don't say that lightly," Connelly said. "And with that expectation comes tremendous responsibility. I thought, not just the last 20 games, but he's grown tremendously as a leader. He's starting to find his voice where he's more comfortable calling guys out in a very positive manner. He's one of the more positive, great players I've been around.

"Again, there's no skipping steps. We're asking him to do something that's really, really, really hard. Very few guys in the NBA have ever done it, but we think he's capable. ... We're unbelievably encouraged by his continued development and really proud of him."

And the goal will be to continue to build around Edwards for the forseeable future.