If you’re a regular reader here, you already know: the Wolves are bringing back the iconic black trees jersey for 2025–26. Finally. Fans have been begging for this for years, and the whispers started the moment Anthony Edwards did that now-famous jersey swap shoot with Justin Jefferson.
Now, let’s be clear. Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore want to leave their stamp on this franchise. They’re new-money owners. They want a fresh logo, a fresh court, a fresh everything. This isn’t the Glen Taylor days where
you just added a white patch to the same wolf head logo from 1996 and called it good. The odds of a complete rebrand are high. But here’s my pitch:
The Wolves already have enough iconic looks in the closet. Why reinvent the wheel? Instead of blowing the whole thing up, just remix the greatest hits and call it a day. So, if I were in charge of dressing this team, here’s what they’d be wearing every night.
1. The Home Jersey: The 2023–24 White Classics
When the Wolves turned 35, they rolled out an updated version of their OG home whites. And man, did they nail it. Clean, crisp, iconic. They went brighter with the green trim, sharpened the royal blue, and suddenly Minnesota looked like a franchise that could share a closet with historic franchises like the Celtics, Bulls, and Lakers instead of one that felt like it was still renting space in the league.
This jersey belongs as the default home look. No need to overthink it. If the NBA were a family reunion, this jersey sits at the adult table.
Bonus points: dust off the old Shep logo for the center court, or — if you’re feeling spicy — tweak the current wolf head’s color scheme to match. Either way, pair this with a clean court and you’ve perfection.
2. The Road Jersey: The 2021–22 City Edition Mash-Up
This one had it all: the royal blue from the old-school away kits, the “Wolves” wordmark in the 90’s font, and, most importantly, the trees around the neckline. Was it bold? Absolutely. But it worked. It felt like a greatest hits album that somehow banged harder than the originals.
This should be the everyday road uniform. It’s fun, it’s both modern and nostalgic, and it screams Minnesota. It’s got that in-your-face swagger that’s the perfect way for your favorite team to roll up to an away game.
3. The Alternate Jersey: The Black Trees
Fans basically stormed the gates for this one. There’s a reason it’s back. The black trees jersey is synonymous with Kevin Garnett, the late ’90s Wolves, and the moment when this franchise actually felt cool.
Here’s the thing: not every jersey ages well. But the black trees? Timeless. Retro, but still modern enough that Ant and Jaden can wear it without looking like they’re cosplaying as NBA Jam characters.
This shouldn’t be the everyday look, but it should be in rotation 10–12 times a year. A treat. Like Halloween candy.
4. The Special-Occasion Jersey: Prince’s Purple Rain
We all loved it when they debuted it. It was bold, it was different, it was a love letter to Minneapolis. But let’s be honest, purple isn’t in the Wolves’ DNA. It’s an event jersey. A once-in-a-while drop. Break it out 3-4 times a year. National TV games. Rivalries. Playoff runs. When you need a little extra juice. That’s when you play the Prince card.
The Reality Check
Of course, this isn’t how the NBA works. There will still be Statement jerseys, City jerseys, and whatever else Nike dreams up to keep fans reloading their Fanatics carts at 1 a.m. A-Rod and Lore will probably push through their shiny new rebrand, and hey, maybe it’ll be great. Maybe we’ll get something epic. Or maybe we’ll end up with another miss like half the Wolves’ redesigns since the KG era.
But here’s the point: Minnesota doesn’t need to overthink this. They’ve got a closet full of hits already. White classics. Blue mash-ups. Black trees. Purple rain. That’s four iconic jerseys spanning all eras of Wolves history. You run those out on the court, you’re covered.
And if you win the title in one of them? Boom. Instant immortality. Nobody’s ever saying “do we need a rebrand?” again.
