Lost in the flurry of 14 trades involving 27 teams ahead of last week’s NBA trade deadline was the Minnesota Timberwolves, led by new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, swapping 2026 first-round picks with the Detroit Pistons to get off of Mike Conley’s $10,375,000 contract. It was a surprising move for a team that had made the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons and had a reasonably good shot at doing it again.

The Timberwolves could have used Conley’s contract and the pick swap or other assets to add another player who could have helped them. Instead, they hurt their ability to compete, if not this season, then in the future, in order to save some money.

In some ways, this is business as usual in Minnesota. Prior to this iteration of the team, the Timberwolves failed to make the playoffs in 13 straight seasons from 2005 to 2017. Previous owner Glen Taylor succeeded in keeping the Timberwolves in Minnesota, but the team rarely succeeded on the court. For whatever reason, Taylor’s other basketball team, the Minnesota Lynx, were far more successful. They are tied with the Houston Comets for the most championships in WNBA history. Their dynasty was arguably cut short by Maya Moore’s early retirement, but the team rebuilt around Napheesa Collier, losing in the WNBA Finals in 2024 and having the best record in the regular season in 2025.

So why should Lynx fans worry that their frugal ownership group will hinder their success when that largely hasn’t happened over the last 15 years? Because the league is changing. The expansion teams and the well-run organizations are all pouring money into facilities, front office staff, coaching, and player development. Even the Chicago Sky will have a shiny new practice facility, though it may not be ready for the start of the season. The bar to be competitive is being raised every year. If the Lynx are trying to save money while the rest of the league is investing in its players, they could be left behind.

The other big change that could hurt the Lynx is the new CBA. We don’t know any of the terms, except that player salaries will increase quite a bit. The league’s latest proposal included a 230% increase in the salary cap, and there is a good chance it will be even higher than that. What appetite will the Lynx have for paying increased salaries?

We also don’t know if there will be a salary floor, and what the difference will be between the floor and the cap. In the past, salaries were so low that most teams spent roughly the same amount on player salaries. If that’s not the case in the new CBA, the Lynx could suffer.

The Lynx have been one of the best teams in the WNBA the last two seasons, and they would certainly be a favorite in 2026 if they can bring their team back, along with the second overall pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. They might have a hard time doing that regardless of the rules and the owners’ willingness to spend. The Lynx’s top seven players in minutes played are all unrestricted free agents, as is midseason addition DiJonai Carrington. Even if the Players Association is unsuccessful in eliminating the core designation, it is hard to see the Lynx bringing everyone back. That is especially true if they have less money to spend than other teams.

Of course, this could all be moot. The Lynx have already proven they can thrive even while their NBA counterpart flounders. And saving money may just not be as important when it comes to the WNBA. Mike Conley’s salary for this season was more than double the WNBA’s proposed salary cap for an entire team. When you add in how much the Timberwolves saved on the luxury tax by offloading Conley’s salary, any savings they would get by failing to spend up to the new WNBA salary cap would be marginal at best.

Even more important than that, Cheryl Reeve’s contract runs through the 2027 season. If she wants to continue coaching, the Lynx would do well to sign her to another extension, but I would argue her current contract more or less guarantees the team will be competitive for the next two seasons. Beyond that, only time will tell.

Ownership that is willing to spend is arguably the biggest competitive advantage in professional sports, though that has been less the case in the WNBA than in other leagues. If that is changing, the landscape of the league could change with it. As a Chicago Sky fan, that makes me nervous. If I were a Minnesota Lynx fan, I would be worried. However, there is still plenty of time for me to be proven wrong.