Minnesota

Timberwolves

Ingles will be back for a 12th NBA season, and he’ll likely play a role similar to the one he played in 2024-25. The veteran logged just six minutes per game across 19 appearances for the Wolves a season ago, and he’ll be a locker room guy rather than an impactful, on-court option. Fantasy managers can safely leave him on the waiver wire after he goes unselected in 2025-26 drafts.

A few days after it was reported that Naz Reid agreed to a new deal with the Timberwolves, Randle has reportedly done the same. His new deal will include a player option for the 2027-28 season. While there were some early hiccups, Randle had a productive debut season in Minnesota. In 69 games, he averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.6 three-pointers in 32.3 minutes. The returns of Randle and Reid will likely mean free agent guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker heads elsewhere, as other teams can offer him more than the Timberwolves can. Detroit is one team rumored to be highly interested in signing Alexander-Walker.

Fresh off their second consecutive trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves hope to keep most of their core together for another run. Reid, who opted out of the final year of his current deal, has been a key piece off the bench for Chris Finch’s team, and retaining him would be immense. Finch said earlier this month that he expects Reid and Julius Randle to return to the team next season. Reid staying in Minnesota likely keeps him in the sixth-man role, which limits his fantasy ceiling. However, he’s still worth selecting in all league drafts.

Chicago made the pick, but Zikarsky will be headed to Minnesota via trade. He played the last two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets, making an impact in limited minutes. Last season, he provided 4.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks across 12.2 minutes per game. In his only professional start, Zikarsky finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and three swats. Standing 7’2 and weighing in at 227 pounds, the Australian big man can make an impact as a lob threat and rebounder, though he’s still a raw talent on both ends of the floor. Zikarsky will be the third-tallest player in the NBA next season behind Victor Wembanyama and Zach Edey. As for his potential impact in Minnesota, he’s a bit of a project but should have time to develop as Rudy Gobert continues to man the middle.

The Lakers traded pick No. 45 and cash to Minnesota to select Thiero. This comes after the Lakers traded pick no. 55 and cash to the Bulls to get the 45th pick. Money talks. Thiero spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Kentucky before transferring to Arkansas, where he enjoyed a breakout campaign. The 6’6, 218 pound forward averaged 15.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks with the Razorbacks during the 2024-25 campaign. He’s a poor three-point shooter, but he’s got length, athleticism and defensive skills in spades while he develops his range from beyond the arc. He should be a solid reserve defender for the Lakers that can get some transition buckets off of Luka Doncic and LeBron James passes.

While Minnesota made this pick, it was done on behalf of the Suns. Fleming earned All A-10 honors as a junior with St. Joe’s behind averages of 14.7 points, 8.5 boards, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.5 swats and 1.8 triples across 31.3 minutes per game. The big-bodied forward provided efficient 53/39/74 shooting splits and strong defense. At 6’8, 232 pounds, Fleming has the size to guard multiple positions, and he’s got a sweet touch from beyond the arc. He profiles as a three-and-D specialist at the next level, playing most comfortably at forward but potentially deployed as a small-ball center. Given how poor the Suns were defensively last season, Fleming has the tools needed to make an impact on that end of the floor.

This was an aggressive 10-minute stretch from the Suns. Reports from Charania indicate that Phoenix is leaning towards Rasheer Fleming with this pick, and he would be an incredible three-and-D addition for them after he slid to round two. They also still have the 41st pick, which they will likely use to address the point guard position. Kam Jones, Tyrese Proctor and Javon Small would all be interesting options.

The Frenchman stands nearly seven feet tall and has a 7’4.5” wingspan, which could translate into dominant defensive production. He won’t turn 19 until November, and he’s an incredibly raw prospect as he didn’t start playing basketball until 2021. He played a limited role in Slovenia this past season, so the numbers aren’t pretty, with averages of 5.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 18.2 minutes per game. It may take some time for him to figure things out, but he could turn into an impactful player on defense that can provide traditional center stats for fantasy managers. He’ll get to learn the position from fellow French big man Rudy Gobert, which could be a big boon to his development in the Association.

With Randle and Reid have player options for next season, and while there hasn’t been any official update about whether they will pick those options up or not, Finch expects them to remain in Minnesota. That could mean they decline their options and sign new contracts; it would be surprising if Reid accepted a $15 million option for next season. If he signs elsewhere, Reid could find a starting role, which would be ideal for his fantasy production.

While Finch, Houston’s Ime Udoka and Dallas’s Jason Kidd have all been mentioned as people of interest regarding the Knicks’ head coaching vacancy, all are expected to stay put in their current roles. Tuesday night, Charania reported that formal requests to speak with Finch and Udoka were denied by their respective franchises. As for Kidd, The Athletic reported that Dallas expects him to stay, with the head coach possibly looking for a contract extension with the Mavericks.