For all the talk about Anthony Edwards being a playoff superstar in the making, the Minnesota Timberwolves have quietly arrived at an uncomfortable truth: the pieces around him don’t quite fit.
Five straight seasons of falling short in the postseason have made one thing obvious — the roster that looked intriguing on paper has serious cracks. Julius Randle and Naz Reid can light it up on any given night, but consistency has been elusive. Rudy Gobert remains a defensive anchor with clear offensive limitations. Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu, and Terrence Shannon Jr. show flashes, but none have developed into reliable playoff contributors. Mike Conley Jr. is still savvy, but at 37, his best days are behind him.
That’s why the buzz around Target Center this week isn’t about who they might draft — it’s about who they might trade the pick for.
The No. 28 Pick Is in Play
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Timberwolves are actively shopping their first-round selection, the 28th overall, with an eye on adding a veteran who can help immediately. Stein reported on his Substack that rival teams have heard Minnesota is looking specifically for another ballhandler to bolster the backcourt.
“The Stein Line has learned that Minnesota is very much in conversation to move its No. 28 selection, with rival teams saying that the Wolves are searching for another ballhandler to bolster their backcourt,” Stein wrote.
If the Wolves do trade down but stay in the draft, league personnel have identified Sergio de Larrea — a 6’6″ guard from Valencia in Spain — as a name high on president Tim Connelly’s radar.
Who Is Sergio de Larrea?
ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel slotted de Larrea at No. 28 in his latest mock draft, describing him as a player trending up just a week before the 2026 NBA Draft. “Sergio De Larrea is trending up the week before the 2026 NBA Draft, with many believing he has locked himself into being a first-round pick. At 6’6″ with a 6’9″ wingspan, de Larrea is a bigger guard who actually fits in with the Minnesota Timberwolves really well,” Siegel wrote.
The 20-year-old just wrapped an impressive season with Valencia, earning Liga ACB Best Young Player honors. He turned down offers from major U.S. college programs to develop overseas, and his size and skill set make him an intriguing fit for a Wolves team that lacks a natural backup point guard behind Conley.
Whether Minnesota uses the pick to draft de Larrea or swaps it for a plug-and-play veteran, one thing is clear: the front office knows the window with Edwards is open — and it can’t afford to waste it.
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