Nickeil Alexander-Walker has departed Minnesota and joined the Atlanta Hawks. An SB Nation Fan Poll has the NAW signing among the most impactful this off-season.
Fourth of July weekend used to be about burgers, fireworks, and that one uncle who thinks cornhole is an Olympic sport. Now it’s “refresh NBA Twitter every six seconds while pretending to watch the kids in the sprinkler.” And for Wolves fans? It’s been a weird mix of relief (Naz and Randle are back!) and low-grade dread (cue the melancholy Nickeil Alexander-Walker mixtape).
Minnesota’s Quiet (but Expensive) July 1
Let’s recap the ledger:
Naz Reid extended for 5 yrs / $125 M, Julius Randle extended for 3 yrs / $100 M, and Joe Ingalls (because vibes) returns for 1 yr / vet min.
That’s … pretty much it. No mid-level magic, no sneaky sign-and-trade, just run-it-back energy and one last Jingles cameo so he can keep telling Ant how much better Bluey is than Paw Patrol.
The SB Nation Free-Agency Poll
Over at SB Nation Reacts, fans were asked: “Which free agent will have the biggest impact on his new team?” Results:
- Myles Turner to Milwaukee — 39 %
- D’Angelo Russell to Dallas — 21 %
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Atlanta — 18 %
Couple of thoughts:
- DLo finishing ahead of NAW is like giving a Golden Globe to Entourage Season 8 over The Bear.
- Wolves Twitter still calls the 2023 Conley/DLo swap “Tim Connelly’s Mona Lisa.” Seeing Russell leapfrog NAW in a popularity poll is the hoops equivalent of watching the cover band get a bigger crowd than the artist who actually wrote the song. Annoying? Definitely. But deep down, you know who had the real talent.
- The poll forgot Luka Garza to Boston—unforgivable.
What Losing NAW Actually Means
Last season, NAW gave Finch a Swiss-Army defender who could moonlight as emergency point guard, hit corner threes, and bring locker-room serotonin. You can theoretically replace those minutes with Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark, but “theoretically” is a scary word when your only true ball-handlers are 37-year-old Mike Conley and Rob “Still On Training Wheels” Dillingham.
Translation: Connelly needs to land the Wolves a vet PG on a reasonable contract—think Monte Morris, Malcolm Brogdon. Someone who can dribble the ball across half court without Ant wasting calories or Conley combusting.
West Watch: Everyone Else Got Better
- Denver quietly added bench shooting; Jokic is still a cyborg.
- OKC didn’t lose anyone important.
- Houston YOLO-ed for Kevin Durant. Either a masterstroke or the sequel to Phoenix 2024: The Meltdown.
So the Wolves’ path back to the West finals isn’t cleaner—it’s messier.
Silver Lining: Continuity + Super-Ant
Running it back isn’t sexy, but it works if:
- Ant returns with a Shai-style mid-range package and a sprinkle of Kobe footwork.
- McDaniels unlocks “corner-three + 18-foot pull-up” mode.
- TSJ or Clark becomes Diet-NAW by January.
If those boxes get checked, Minnesota can absolutely stay in the 55-win neighborhood—and maybe finally kick the OKC monkey off their back.
Final Take
The Wolves entered free agency with two jobs: keep their core and dodge the second apron. Mission (mostly) accomplished. Now it’s about finding that one bargain-bin point guard and banking on internal growth. In July, that sounds responsible; in May, we’ll see if “responsible” beats SGA and Jalen Williams.
And hey, if you’re feeling spicy about how these moves shift the title odds, FanDuel Sportsbook already has updated NBA futures—yes, you can bet the Wolves to win it all at +1700 while you’re still digesting your barbecue.
Enjoy the holiday weekend, Wolves Nation!