NBA top 100 player lists are staples of preseason coverage for national sports outlets as a way to size up the league’s top athletes and their respective teams.
So how do Minnesota’s top guys stack up in the minds of national pundits? Here are where the Wolves sit in the most recent player rankings from Bleacher Report, CBS, ESPN, The Ringer and Sports Illustrated:
Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) poses for a photo during the NBA basketball team's media day, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Bleacher Report Rank: 7
What they said: Over the course of the last five years, Anthony Edwards has steadily developed from a dynamic, hyper-athletic, rim-assaulting showman to a calculated, three-level-scoring wing who looks ready to assume the “best shooting guard in the world” mantle.
It’s a title that has been held by some of the game’s most auratic superstars, from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant. And while the comparison might seem blasphemous to some, his age (24) and career playoff averages of 26.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists suggest it’s not.
The last box is harder to check in today’s NBA, with its international talent pool and a collective bargaining agreement designed to spread stars throughout the league. But Edwards has led his Timberwolves to the varsity conference finals in each of the last two seasons.
He’s closer to the ultimate goal than you might realize.
CBS Rank: 7
What they said: There are plenty of freakish athletes in the NBA and a lot of freakishly skilled players, as well. Edwards is one of the few who qualify as both, on both ends. Last season, Edwards pumped up his 3-point volume to over 10 per game to lead the league with 320 triples at a 40% clip. He can explode past whatever defender you put in front of him. He’s quickly figuring out how to generate offense by passing out of the double teams he’s bound to see on a nightly basis. The next step is probably moving even better off the ball. He’s a bonafide MVP contender.
ESPN Rank: 6
What they said: By almost every measure, Anthony Edwards got better last season. He led the league with 320 made 3-pointers at a career-high 39.5% clip. He raised his scoring average from 26 points per game to 28. And, most importantly, he led the team back to the Western Conference finals despite the offseason trade of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns. But he would be the first person to tell you he came up short of his goals last season. After losing in five games to the Thunder, Edwards said “no one would work harder” than him to improve this offseason. Edwards saw firsthand how Oklahoma City was a better team, with more depth, skill and tactics that were able to take him out of games. To ascend to the heights predicted for him since his star turn with USA Basketball in 2023, Edwards will need to diversify his offensive game and elevate his teammates.
Biggest question: Will his penchant for getting technical fouls and being fined by the NBA continue?
Edwards led the league with 18 technical fouls last season and was fined over $400,000 by the NBA for a variety of behaviors: obscene gestures, explicit language, and failing to leave the court after an ejection. Not exactly great for his image and candidacy as the future face of the league and the best American-born star. But also not great for his reputation with referees in the league, and sometimes a needless distraction to his team.
The Ringer Rank: 5
What they said: Existential question:Can Ant break free from the Matrix? Edwards has steadily gotten more prolific and more efficient as a scorer across his first five seasons, but true mastery of the wing position comes when that scoring ability is leveraged to make the game easier for the four teammates on the floor. Ant is already well on his way to figuring it all out. Throughout the course of the Timberwolves’ first-round playoff series against the Lakers last season, Edwards had moments when it looked like he—not LeBron James, not Luka Doncic—was the best playmaker on the floor. He navigated hard traps and doubles and seemed to pride himself on making the right decisions every time down the floor.
But in consecutive postseasons, Edwards has lost steam in the Western Conference finals. His lag time in problem-solving against the historically great Oklahoma City defense registered as a lack of aggression. Up to this point, his game has been prescriptive and binary in nature, overly reliant on his absurd physical gifts to detonate a path to results. “Every three possessions, I’m going to shoot one out of three,” he’s said of his approach. The next step is developing a more holistic understanding of his offensive gravity—where his ability to create for himself or others stems from the same creative wellspring, like different pitches from a single release point. Building his playmaking intuition may be the only thing keeping Ant from cementing a place in the top five.
Defining trait: One-hundredth percentile confidence. There are other players who can explode off the ground as violently as Edwards, and there are others who can shoot 3s as efficiently as he does, at the same volume. But no one quite matches Ant’s particular brand of bravado. He has no problem asserting his primacy in an era with as much talent as there’s ever been in the league. He also has no problem accepting defeat, allowing what would normally be crushing moments of doubt to roll off his back. It’s a level of self-assuredness that would track as delusion for just about anybody else. But this isn’t anybody else.
Sports Illustrated Rank: 6
What they said: Edwards took another leap for the Timberwolves last season, this time from the three-point line. The 24-year-old superstar turned into one of the NBA’s deadliest three-point marksmen in 2024–25. He was one of three players to average over 10 attempts from beyond the arc per game (10.3) and drained 39.5% of those tries. Combining that sharpshooting with his effortless ability to slash through defenses and growth as a defender means Edwards is the complete package, a two-way star who can win the day any which way; his casual charisma and postgame quips merely serve as a bonus for fans of his game. He averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Wolves in his fifth NBA campaign—and it feels like Edwards only just began to scrape the ceiling of his potential. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him contend for a first-team All-NBA spot this season after two straight second-team nominations.
Donte DiVincenzo
Donte DiVincenzo
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) reacts after scoring during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Sports Illustrated rank: 82
What they said: DiVincenzo’s stats took a hit after he was traded to the Timberwolves by the Knicks at the final hour last fall but, similar to his trade-brother-in-arms Julius Randle, he evened out after settling in. The journeyman guard brought steady production to Minnesota’s backcourt off the bench, a much-needed trait given Mike Conley’s offensive decline. DiVincenzo also proved he can play with Anthony Edwards well thanks to his shooting, ranking second in three-pointers out of all his teammates. DiVincenzo is a well-rounded and versatile piece who can slot into any iteration of Minnesota’s lineups.
Not ranked by Bleacher Report, CBS, ESPN or The Ringer
Jaden McDaniels
Bleacher Report Rank: 67
Jaden McDaniels dunks
Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Target Center on May 14, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
What they said: Depending on the game, Jaden McDaniels can look like he’s All-D-and-No-Three or a slimmed-down version of Kawhi Leonard. Not surprisingly, this range of outcomes is reflected in where he lands.
No-holds-barred defense gives McDaniels a high floor. Even when his offensive efficiency is in the gutter and opposing teams leave him unattended, you can’t not play him.
Extended stretches of efficient three-point shooting, mid-range touch and deep drives leave the door open to a mid-career leap. The challenge for McDaniels is figuring out how to unlock the best, most consistent iteration of his offense without having to play the 4. If he can’t, his overall ceiling will be bottlenecked by the current makeup of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ roster.
CBS Rank: 69
What they said: McDaniels is the platonic ideal of a role player. He guards at an All-Defensive level, doesn’t need the ball in his hands (but isn’t useless with it either), is a capable 3-point shooter and rarely misses time. Last season, he was one of 11 players to appear in all 82 games. He’s proven to be a playoff riser, as well. He averaged 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals on 51.5/38.2/89.3 shooting splits last spring as the Timberwolves made another run to the Western Conference finals.
ESPN Rank: 75
What they said: At 6-9, with a near 7-foot wingspan, McDaniels covers a lot of space just by being on the court. And the consistency in which he was available to use his long arms to harass the ball on defense and churn his long legs to score the ball in transition on offense made 2024-25 a career season for the small forward. McDaniels played in all 82 games for the first time in his five years in the league and had his finest postseason yet, averaging playoff bests in points (14.7), rebounds (5.6) and steals (1.3) per game. His 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs helped the No. 6-seeded Wolves go on to upset the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers and make it all the way to the conference finals.
The Ringer Rank: 58
What they said: Existential question: McDaniels is such a fascinating player for the Timberwolves: simultaneously an essential part of their identity and someone whose inconsistency might, in some ways, be holding them back. McDaniels’s role doesn’t call for him to run a ton of pick-and-rolls, but Anthony Edwards’s life would be a little easier if defenses were forced to treat McDaniels as more of a playmaking threat than he is—especially when you consider how generally unreliable his 3-point shot has been over the past two seasons. Even if he’s the fourth or fifth scoring option on a roster with a fixed hierarchy, Minnesota’s offense would greatly benefit if McDaniels were able to hold a little more responsibility on his plate. If he can take the next step, the Timberwolves can too.
What aspect of the modern NBA does this player represent? McDaniels’s length, size, and dogged pursuit of whomever he’s supposed to be guarding give him the look and feel of a prototypical perimeter defender. He disrupts passing lanes, can switch onto multiple positions, and does a phenomenal job of making ball handlers as uncomfortable as humanly possible.
Sports Illustrated Rank: 77
What they said: Being guarded by McDaniels appears to be a uniquely miserable experience. It’s impossible for opposing ballhandlers to get around his pterodactyl-like wingspan, and any bigger scorer who thinks they can just plow over his narrow frame find themselves sorely mistaken more often than not. The Timberwolves wing is one of the better perimeter defenders in the game and took his disruption to the next level last season, averaging 1.3 steals per night. On the other end, McDaniels had a bigger offensive role than ever in Minnesota, but the results were mixed. He shot under 50% from the field while getting up a career-high number of attempts per game. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old shows up to play every night and finds ways to be a thorn in his opponents’ sides with regularity.
Julius Randle
Bleacher Report Rank: 42
Julius Randle
El alero de los Timberwolves de Minnesota Julius Randle reacciona durante la segunda mitad del juego 3 de las finales de la Conferencia Oeste ante el Thunder de Oklahoma City el sábado 24 de mayo del 2025. (AP Foto/Matt Krohn)
What they said: At times, it feels like Julius Randle’s game has all the subtlety of a Chris Farley appearance on late-night television. It’s wild, unrestrained, explosive and ultimately productive.
Although it took him much of last season to adapt to a new home and role with the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he found it, he was once again one of the league’s more dynamic point forwards.
Following an extended injury absence in February, Randle put up 18.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and a team-high 5.2 assists, while shooting 39.8 percent from deep, over his last 21 games.
He wasn’t just a dangerous second scoring option behind Anthony Edwards. He was often the primary facilitator. With his force-of-nature drives, Randle can drag defenses deep into the paint before kicking out to shooters or finding a big man at the rim or in the dunker’s spot.
His game may not have the aesthetic appeal of some of the league’s other distributors, but it’s undeniably effective.
CBS Rank: 44
What they said: After vociferous clamoring for him to be traded at the beginning of the season (a refrain with which Randle is quite familiar), the 30-year-old forward found his rhythm as the Wolves made a push entering the playoffs. Following a return from a groin strain in early March, Randle averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his final 21 games, shooting 52% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. Minnesota is hoping for more of the same this season, as Randle’s playmaking and shooting next to Anthony Edwards are essential for the offense to click.
ESPN Rank: 42
What they said: Through the first two rounds of the 2025 playoffs, Randle played some of the finest basketball of his 11-year career, averaging 23.9 points on 50.9% shooting with 5.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game as the Wolves ousted the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors to reach the conference finals. With a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, Randle struggled in two crucial moments against Oklahoma City: six points on 2-for-11 shooting and four turnovers in a loss in Game 2, and five points on 1-for-7 shooting and five turnovers in a loss in Game 4. Minnesota bet that the forward has more to give as Anthony Edwards’ running mate, signing the 30-year-old to a three-year, $100 million extension in June.
The Ringer Rank: 48
**What they said:**Existential question: Randle exceeded expectations as a capable second option for Anthony Edwards last season, but the clock eventually struck midnight in the Western Conference finals. Now, fresh off signing a three-year, $100 million deal, with a full season of experience filling a critical role for a competitive team, can Randle actually serve as the right-hand man to one of basketball’s brightest young stars? If the answer is yes, Minnesota can call itself a championship contender. If not, the Timberwolves will likely look to get off his contract, sooner rather than later.
Compare the player’s game to an inanimate object: A powerful gas stovetop that regularly has at least one burner that won’t light. Randle has all the physical skills to dominate whenever he wants, but it doesn’t take long before one of his imperfections quickly reveals itself.
Biggest accomplishment: Going toe-to-toe with LeBron James in a playoff series where both players were the second options for their respective teams and winning. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but up until last year’s postseason, Randle had one of the worst playoff résumés held by someone who’s also made multiple All-NBA teams.
Sports Illustrated Rank: 52
What they said: Randle took a while to settle in after he was suddenly traded to the Timberwolves by the Knicks on the eve of training camp. Once he did, though, Anthony Edwards & Co. were glad to have him. Randle is a multifaceted offensive talent, a bowling ball of an athlete who is nigh unstoppable once he gets into the lane. Too big for most guards, too quick for most forwards and stronger than nearly everybody else on the floor, Randle averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists last season as he learned how to attack off-kilter defenses who zeroed in on his superstar teammate. Consistency can be a problem in Randle’s game but when he’s clicking he’s entirely capable of carrying the Wolves on both ends of the floor.
Naz Reid
Bleacher Report Rank: 72
What they said: Naz Reid’s status as a floor-spacing big man fuels his individual value but also unfairly downplays his other contributions. The dude’s offensive bag is two-syllable duh-eep.
Though he does not have the tightest handle, he’s got the floor game of a wing to go along with some back-to-the-basket and short-roll touch. The outside-shooting element of his game might even be underrated. His release is atypically quick and fluid for a big man.
Tweener status at the defensive end is his Achilles heel. He has shown on occasion he can move his feet in space, but he shouldn’t be on islands for long, and he’s not nearly large enough to handle primary back-line responsibilities.
With that said, if Reid ever becomes more of a defensive anchor in secondary minutes at the 5, we’re looking at top-40-or-50 material instead of top 75.
CBS Rank: 74
What they said: Reid is one of the best reserves in the league. After winning Sixth Man of the Year in 2024, he finished fifth in the voting last season despite actually putting up better numbers: 14.2 points, six rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, all career-highs. His ability to space the floor opens up driving lanes, and there are times when it’s easy to wonder if the Wolves would be better off with him in the starting lineup.
ESPN Rank: 90
What they said: Reid followed up his 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year award with an even more impressive campaign, increasing his scoring (13.5 to 14.2 PPG), rebounding (5.2 to 6.0 RPG) and distributing (1.3 to 2.3 APG) while providing the steady floor spacing at center (37.9% from 3) to open up paint opportunities for Anthony Edwards. After his postseason production dipped — 10.4 PPG and 4.7 RPG — and Minnesota lost in the conference finals for the second straight year, the Wolves stayed committed to the 26-year-old big man, signing Reid to a five-year, $125 million extension in June.
The Ringer Rank: 74
What they said: Existential question: It’s hard out there for a big. Naz is both skilled enough to be a key player for the Wolves and just limited enough that his best role is coming off the bench. Too good to let go in free agency, but not so indispensable that he won’t find himself on the bench in crunch time. Naz is beloved in Minnesota, but there’s always a lingering question about where he fits into the long game. If you can’t anchor the defense as a 5, everything is more difficult—starting with how and when you see the floor. Naz brings so much to the table but happens to fall short in what is effectively a structural requirement for his position.
Defining trait: Mobility. Knocking down shots is great, but what makes Reid really dangerous is everything that comes after a defender flies out to contest his jumper. The trade-off for Naz being smaller than most true centers is that he’s quicker than almost all of them. If you bite on a pump fake or even hesitate against the threat of his jumper—he’s gone. Off to the rim, to dunk all over whatever smaller defender rotates in his path. The same principles apply when he’s involved in the pick-and-roll or running out in transition. If you give Naz an opening, he’ll get downhill and punish you for it. And if you don’t, he’ll rain enough 3s over the top so that next time, you’ll reconsider.
What does it say about you if you wear this player’s jersey? Naz Reid.
Sports Illustrated Rank: 71
What they said: Naz Reid. That’s all that needs to be said. Memes aside, Reid had another good season off the bench for the Timberwolves. He averaged a career-high 14.2 ppg and finished fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting after taking home the award in 2024. The versatility he offers as a true center who can shoot the rock at elite levels is invaluable for Minnesota’s lineup configurations with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Beyond that, Reid expanded his game a bit more in his last campaign with career-high numbers in assists and rebounds. The 26-year-old will be relied upon again for his scoring punch this year.
Rudy Gobert
Bleacher Report Rank: 46
Rudy Gobert dunks the basketball.
Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on Monday, April 30 in Los Angeles. (Harry How/Getty Images)
What they said: Rudy Gobert no longer singlehandedly smothers opposing offenses like he did with the Utah Jazz, but he’s still one of the league’s most effective defensive anchors and rim protectors.
Because of his ability to clean up drives inside, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ perimeter defenders can be far more aggressive. That leads to scrambled offenses, which in turn result in misses. When Gobert was on the floor this past season, opponents’ effective field-goal percentage dropped 2.2 points.
As has been the case for much of his career, despite a lack of traditional post moves or other aesthetically pleasing skills, Gobert is still a positive player on offense, too. He knows what he does best (offensive rebound and dunk), and he doesn’t try to do much else. Getting 13.1 points on just 7.7 field-goal attempts per game is incredibly valuable.
CBS Rank: 50
What they said: The noise around Gobert is what it is, but the facts are abundantly clear: When he’s on the floor, the other team has a very hard time scoring. The Timberwolves allowed 112 points per possession with Gobert off the floor last season, and that shrank to 107.6 — the equivalent of the league’s second-best defense — with him on the court. The team’s offensive rating remained basically unchanged with him on the floor, which means Minnesota’s net rating improved by over four points per 100 possessions during Gobert’s minutes, second on the team only to Naz Reid.
ESPN Rank: 49
What they said: Minnesota finished with the 10th-best defensive rating in the league last season, anchored by Gobert, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner. The things Gobert does well, he does really well: He shot 66.9% from the field, averaged double-digit rebounds for the 10th straight season (10.9 per game) and finished ninth in total blocked shots. It’s just the areas where the 7-foot-1 Gobert struggles — perimeter defense, outside shooting (he’s yet to make a 3-pointer in his career) and occasional foul trouble — that make his game a lightning rod for debate when it comes to determining his true value to a Wolves team with title aspirations.
The Ringer Rank: 47
What they said: Existential question: Will his game age gracefully? Remember Roy Hibbert, Indiana’s defensive anchor of the early 2010s? He made the All-Star Game in 2014 and was out of the league by 2017. In an era defined by pace and space, the aging curves of elite big men can be cruel AF. Gobert is 33. He’s been one of the league’s most impactful defenders and rebounders for a decade now, but it’s fair to ask whether his game is built to last, especially considering his offensive limitations. He remains the most important defender on Minnesota, but after watching the young fellas from OKC wipe the floor with that defense in the Western finals, I’m left wondering whether a defense led by an aging Gobert can get over the hump.
Biggest weakness: Is there anything in the NBA funnier than a Rudy Gobert jump shot? In a league full of endless shooting talent, Gobert’s “unvarnished” shooting mechanics are truly unique. Last season, he made one of his 14 jumpers, and folks, each one of those 14 events was a dang thrill ride. Make no mistake; he isn’t in the NBA to drain jumpers, but if you happen to catch him trying, you’re in for a good time.
What does it say about you if you wear this player’s jersey? It says you are French. Gobert has been one of the greatest French players in NBA history and a major point of pride for French hoops; however, his overall game—particularly his limited offensive utility—means that there must be some non-basketball reasons for this jersey selection. Reasons like national pride.
Sports Illustrated Rank: 49
What they said: Gobert put up another season of solid double-double production with great interior defense. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year averaged 12.0 points and 10.9 rebounds while swatting 1.4 shots per game. Pretty much what everyone has come to expect from the French big man. However, those marks are all down year over year, and watching Gobert labor at times last season it’s easy to wonder if he’s beginning to feel the physical toll of battling down low for 12 NBA seasons. Even if that’s the case, Gobert still performed well enough to earn his eighth All-Defensive Team nod. As long as he’s on the floor, opponents will hesitate to attack the rim and the Timberwolves will be better off for it.