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Any form of prediction made before this Jonathan Kuminga signing may as well be void. The Minnesota Timberwolves have gotten way scarier because Lamelo Ball and Anthony Edwards now have a threat that thrives on both ends of the floor. Specifically, they will get a vertical threat that not many teams can scheme against, plus an offensive spark plug that could take them far in the postseason. How impactful is this signing? Let's break down how much this NBA Free Agency decision moves the needle in the Western Conference and Larry O'Brien trophy race.
Timberwolves' Ball and Edwards get deadlier with Kuminga signing
Jonathan Kuminga is signing a $13 million, two-year contract to join the Timberwolves, per Shams Charania of ESPN. He did receive offers from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and Portland Trail Blazers. The Purple and Gold even offered a longer deal spanning three years, but he still chose the Timberwolves.
Why is that the case? It's because Kuminga doesn't want to settle with a team for too long and wants to control his future. He learned this during his time with the Golden State Warriors and his failed attempts to leave before landing with the Atlanta Hawks.
Unsurprisingly, Anthony Edwards actively pursued Kuminga. Coach Chris Finch and president Tim Connelly then followed suit as the Timberwolves made a full pitch when they flew to Miami for a four-hour in-person meeting. But that's not what we are here to talk about.
How will the Timberwolves get closer to their NBA championship hopes now that they have Kuminga?
On paper, the Timberwolves have one of the scariest starting lineups in the NBA. Ball is going to orchestrate the offense at point guard. Edwards gets to thrive off-ball at the shooting guard spot. That's where Coach Finch gets a lot of versatility. See, Kuminga can either play the three or four spots interchangeably because Jaden McDaniels has the defensive chops to be flexible in that regard. Of course, Rudy Gobert will be their defensive anchor at center.
Statistically, Kuminga is projected to have a career year for the 2026-27 NBA season when you factor in his Per 36 minutes numbers.
| PTS | FG% | 3P% | AST | TRB | BLK | STL | TOV | FT% | WS/48 |
| 20.8 | .480 | .333 | 3.5 | 7.7 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.5 | .716 | .077 |
The new Timberwolves forward is expected to have career-highs in points (previous 12.5 PPG), assists (previous 2.3 APG), rebounds (previous 5.9 RPG), blocks (0.5 BPG), and steals (previous 0.8 SPG).
When you look at Timberwolves chemistry, Ball also gets a perfect vertical threat the roster once lacked before this Kuminga signing. See, during his time with the Charlotte Hornets, Miles Bridges was the perfect offensive partner for Ball. In fact, this duo ranked fifth in the league in 'player assists to a single teammate'. The elite point guard got 100 assists to Bridges in a span of 965 minutes of playing together. When crunched, that's 3.7 assists per 36 minutes.
Kuminga serves as the perfect schematic substitute for Coach Finch in this regard. Saying that he is a lob threat might also be an understatement; he lives around the rim. It's evidenced by the fact that he broke the Warriors' single-season dunks record in 2023-24 by registering 121 slams to tie JaVale McGee's 2016-17 run. Moreover, he also got activated when Coach Steve Kerr and Coach Quin Snyder played him in the dunker's spot through weak-side cuts.
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) August 26, 2026It's not hard to see why Edwards, Connelly, Finch, and the rest of the Timberwolves organization went after Kuminga. He is the Xs and Os unicorn that the team needs. Someone who knows when and how to go inside such that their schemes alongside Gobert are not too stuffed in the paint.
If Kuminga gets his three-point percentage to about 35% while having a faster first step, the Western Conference may have just found its 2027 champions as early as August of 2026.
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