Assuming Julius Randle and Naz Reid decline their player options for next season, they'll join Nickeil Alexander-Walker as the Timberwolves' three notable free agents this summer. But while Randle and Reid make sense as players Minnesota may try to keep around, the situation feels a bit different with Alexander-Walker. It simply may not be possible to keep all three, and the Wolves have a couple young wings who look ready to step into larger roles next year if NAW is no longer around.
"The overwhelming expectation is Nickeil Alexander-Walker will leave the Timberwolves as an upcoming free agent," wrote Forbes NBA contributor Evan Sidery on Friday. "Minnesota’s apron crunch, including Julius Randle and Naz Reid, likely leaves Alexander-Walker out. Minnesota could sign-and-trade Alexander-Walker to recoup assets."
A 2019 first-round pick out of Virginia Tech, NAW revived his career with the Timberwolves after being thrown into the February 2023 trade that brought Mike Conley to Minnesota and shipped D'Angelo Russell out of town. He played in all 82 games in each of the last two seasons, establishing himself as a key two-way bench player for Chris Finch and a fan favorite. In 187 regular season games with the Wolves, NAW has averaged 8.4 points while shooting 38.4 percent from three.
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There were times this season, especially as the Wolves struggled with inconsistency early on, where Alexander-Walker was one of their most valuable players. Finch is a big fan of what he provides on both ends of the floor. But keeping him around may be difficult.
NAW is due to earn a sizable raise after playing out a two-year, $9 million contract extension with Minnesota. And if another team makes a significant offer the Wolves don't want to match, they could insert players like Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark into the rotation, perhaps without much of a drop-off in production. Both Shannon and Clark showed high-level flashes this season and are likely deserving of bigger roles while on their rookie-scale contracts. As Sidery mentioned, Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly could also consider going the sign-and-trade route with Alexander-Walker.
But in the NBA, nothing is ever certain. So even if it seems likely that Alexander-Walker has played his final game in a Wolves uniform, his departure isn't a guarantee. He would never rule out a return to Minnesota, he said in his exit interview this week. Speculatively, it would seem to depend on what happens with Randle and Reid — and maybe also on whether or not the Wolves feel like he's capable of handling more point guard minutes in the future.
"I'll never burn a bridge," NAW said. "For me to have this opportunity, and I love Minnesota, what the fans have been to me, what the team has been to me. This is the only place I've had a real opportunity to play and be the best version of myself. There's no way I'm gonna go into the offseason and X out Minnesota. That would be crazy."
Alexander-Walker's production fluctuated a bit in the postseason. He had a couple big games, including a 23-point, 6-assist performance in Game 4 against the Thunder, which may have been his final home game at Target Center. He also had some quiet nights, including a scoreless outing on 0-for-8 shooting in the series-ending Game 5 loss on Wednesday. But overall, he had a second straight strong year for the Wolves, setting himself up for a big decision this offseason.