Major Move Coming for Timberwolves?

Expansion is on the horizon for the NBA. Seattle and Las Vegas are the prime cities that are frontrunners to bring the Association to a 32-team league. Noting that both of those cities are in the West, thoughts are turning to balancing out the conferences.

With that, the "overwhelming" likelihood of the Minnesota Timberwolves moving to the Eastern Conference is gaining steam.

The overwhelming thought among most league executives, as it relates to future expansion, is moving the Timberwolves to the Eastern Conference.

Minnesota’s geographical location, plus a star like Anthony Edwards helping balance conferences, seems to be the most logical strategy. pic.twitter.com/WAtSAKTRmG
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 17, 2026

Evan Sidery notes that, in addition to Minnesota's location, which is shaded just a bit to the Eastern half of the country, along with the chance to balance the conference with another superstar in Anthony Edwards, makes the most sense.

Superstars like Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Steph Curry all reside in the West. The East has Giannis Antetokounmpo (for now!)... Jayson Tatum... Donovan Mitchell... and an oft-injured Joel Embiid (yes, there are others, but you can see a trend here).

As for expansion, commissioner Adam Silver made it quite clear about the league's plans while speaking during All-Star weekend.

"We'll make a decision in 2026," Silver said. "Seattle and Las Vegas, in particular, have been very clear. We want to go through the negotiation process, finalize media‑rights agreements, and once that's done, we'll be ready to move forward."

Ant & Co. will have to build some new rivalries.