The Minnesota Timberwolves signed free agent Jonathan Kuminga late in the NBA offseason, beating out the Los Angeles Lakers, the team previously expected to land the 23-year-old forward.
However, while the Timberwolves beat out the Lakers most recently, the two franchises could come together to fix some issues each side is still dealing with.
For Minnesota, at least one player will have to be moved to sign Kuminga, and Josh Green, who arrived this summer in a trade with LaMelo Ball, is the most-mentioned name rumored to be on the way out.
At the same time, Los Angeles has been looking to move the contract of Jarred Vanderbilt, an ex-Timberwolves player. In one move that has gained steam, according to the public, Minnesota could move on from Green and bring back Vanderbilt, a player Anthony Edwards has given much praise to in the past as one of his favorite former teammates.
Timberwolves Could Trade Josh Green For Jarred Vanderbilt
According to HoopsMatic and HoopsHype, the most-common landing spot for Green in mock trades is the Lakers, and the most common player he’s traded for is Vanderbilt.
“NBA Trade Machine: Josh Green appeared in 13.9% of trades built on HoopsMatic over the past 24 hours. Of his trades, his most common destinations were LA Lakers (17.4%), Memphis (13.4%), and Miami (13.0%). The players traded for him most often were Jarred Vanderbilt (17.4%), Taylor Hendricks (10.9%), and Terance Mann (9.3%).”
The Timberwolves need to move Green or another player to create the cap space to sign Kuminga.
Both Green and Vanderbilt have similar contracts, and according to all NBA trade machines, the straight-up swap for the two players is a doable trade.
Lakers receive: Josh Green
Timberwolves receive: Jarred Vanderbilt
It’s uncertain if Minnesota signing Kuminga would make it difficult to take on the $12.4 million Vanderbilt is owed next season, but he is set to make a bit less than Green’s $14.6 million, so it’s not out of the question.
The Timberwolves have also been tabbed to make a trade sending Green to the Lakers and getting back Jaden Hardy and Dalton Knecht in return, but it’s hard to see Minnesota bringing in those two unproven players while trying to compete for a championship.
There’s also no guarantee Green is traded, but if the Timberwolves can bring back one of their former players in Vanderbilt who can impact winning off the bench, it’s certainly a deal that should be investigated, especially as that’s the most common trade the public is making that sees Green get off the books.
Anthony Edwards Could Have His Fingerprints On Another NBA Deal
According to top NBA insiders, Edwards played a big role in both the Timberwolves trading for Ball and signing Kuminga.
He is the present and future of the franchise, and if the team wants to please him even more, they could make the Green for Vanderbilt swap to bring back a player Edwards has praised in the past.
Specifically, when asked about one former teammate he missed playing with the most in 2025, Edwards gave Vanderbilt that nod.
“My (expletive) Jarred Vanderbilt,” Edwards said in a press conference about who he misses the most on and off the court, while also throwing Josh Okogie‘s name in the mix.
The two played in Minnesota together from 2020 to 2022, before Vanderbilt was traded to the Utah Jazz and then the Lakers.
In response, Vanderbilt only had positive things to say about Edwards.
“I mean, that’s my dawg. We played together a couple of years so me and him are tight. We compete, we battle, that’s what we do, we are both hell of competitors. It’s all good between me and him,” he said, per Law Murray of The Athletic.
Vanderbilt and Edwards did get into a scuffle in early 2025, but there are no signs of any bad blood between the two, as the Timberwolves’ star’s praise came more than six months after that interaction.
So, if the Timberwolves are looking to trade Green and continue to appease Edwards, the swap for Vanderbilt could be on the table before or during the 2026-27 NBA season, in which Minnesota is expected to be competing for its first championship in franchise history.
Timberwolves Projected To Trade For Teammate Anthony Edwards Misses Most