20 things to look forward to this NBA offseason

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: Arizona forward Deandre Ayton (13) reacts to a call during the championship game of the mens Pac-12 Tournament between the USC Trojans and the Arizona Wildcats on March 10, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 11: Andrew Wiggins #22 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on during the game against the Denver Nuggets on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

11. Do the Timberwolves shake up their core?

After winning 47 games and making the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons, everything is peachy keen with the Minnesota Timberwolves, right?

Wrong.

In early May, Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN said (via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports), “To suggest it’s a cohesive bunch, that organization, to think that they’re holding hands singing Kumbaya, is laughable. … There is so much angst, and I’m telling you, disconnect behind the scenes.”

ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe added fuel to that fire during a mid-May episode of The Lowe Post, as he said the Timberwolves and star center Karl-Anthony Towns “are not in a good place internally” (via Bleacher Report’s Alec Nathan). During an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast a few days later, Lowe quashed the idea of Towns being traded, but he added, “[Andrew] Wiggins is a different deal, and there’s some stuff going on internally, but all I said was things aren’t great internally” (via John Meyer of Canis Hoopus).

In mid-March, Wolfson said Wiggins had “whispered to teammates” regarding his unhappiness about being a third option behind Towns and Jimmy Butler (via Derek James of 1500ESPN), which begs the question of how viable that trio is long term. During the first round of the playoffs, Butler seemingly took a shot at his younger teammates, telling Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times, “Young guys in this league don’t understand urgency.”

With Towns eligible for an extension this summer and Butler set to become a free agent following the 2018-19 season, Minnesota may be primed for fireworks in the coming weeks.

Next: 10. If the Sixers can't land LeBron, then what?

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