The Minnesota Timberwolves made a splash late in the offseason by signing Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year deal worth $12.4 million. Kuminga has a player option for the 2027-28 season and is expected to be the team’s starting power forward going into the year.
The Wolves needed a power forward after trading Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and Nas Reed to the Charlotte Hornets earlier in the offseason. The Wolves had a glaring need for a power forward for nearly two months, but
Anthony Edwards wanted to ensure that the position was covered. Therefore, he aided in the recruitment process to get Kuminga to the Twin Cities.
“Anthony was really instrumental in recruiting him to come here,” Wolves general manager Matt Lloyd said in an interview with the StribSports Daily Delivery podcast. “We had had several conversations with him, his representatives, from [head coach] Chris Finch, to [president of basketball operations] Tim Connelly, to [basketball operations assistant] Alonzo Gee… everything just kind of came together.”
Edwards’ involvement in getting Kuminga to the Wolves is definitely a strong sign of his leadership for the team. With Randle gone, this is undoubtedly Edwards’ team, and he is certainly taking ownership of that role. That type of leadership is needed if the Wolves want to take the next step as a franchise.
Edwards has earned the right to be able to recruit players to the organization and pick which people will work best around him. The goal is for him, Kuminga, and LaMelo Ball to be part of the nucleus that gets the Wolves to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Canis Hoopus community, how do you feel about Kuminga joining the Wolves? Let us know in the comments section below.
