Minnesota’s postseason offensive rating of 108.1 was the lowest of any playoff team to log at least 10 games; yet another signal that this team’s attack isn’t contender-caliber.
Put simply, the Wolves are too easy to scheme against. Randle’s ball-stopping and wildly inconsistent outside shooting mean he cannot be relied upon as a secondary creator. It certainly didn’t help that DiVincenzo went down with a torn Achilles early in the playoffs, but his absence wasn’t the reason Minnesota struggled so badly.
Since Edwards’ ascent to stardom, the Wolves just haven’t had someone good enough to punish opponents who force the rock out of Ant’s hands.
Irving, if healthy, could change that.
An NBA All-Star in 2024-25, Irving put up 24.7 points and 4.6 assists on a 47.3/40.1/91.6 shooting split for the Dallas Mavericks. Durability will be an enormous concern, but there’s little doubt that Irving is still skilled and efficient enough to run a team on his own. Here, he’d only have to do that on a part-time basis. In fact, long stretches as a spacer and second-side attacker could spare Irving some wear and tear, potentially prolonging the end of his prime.
Irving is set to make $39.5 million in 2026-27 with a $42.4 million player option for 2027-28 and hasn’t seen the floor since March of 2025. The risks are clear: Irving could be a shell of himself, or he could struggle to stay healthy. But Minnesota knows it can’t get where it wants to go by running it back with Randle in the same role and hoping Ayo Dosunmu can scare defenses into playing Edwards honestly.
Irving has championship experience and is one of the most gifted offensive players of his generation. At the very least, he’ll command the respect of opponents, changing the way they defend and dispersing the crowd that always surrounds Edwards in the playoffs.
