On April 22, 1987, the NBA granted expansion franchises to Minnesota, Orlando, Charlotte and Miami. Thirty-nine years later, the Timberwolves open the 2026-27 season at Miami with a roster rebuilt this summer and a history that has always asked them to defend first.
Same Class, Different Roads
Minnesota's first game came on November 3, 1989, a 106-94 loss to Seattle, in a season played at the Metrodome before the move to Target Center in 1990. The early years were hard, bottoming out at 15-67 in 1991-92. In 1994 the team nearly left for New Orleans. It stayed because Edward Villaume raised $88.5 million and brought in Glen Taylor as lead investor. That may have been the franchise's most important early result. Miami arrives tonight off a 43-39 season, with Bam Adebayo at 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds last season.
The Garnett Standard
The 1995 draft of Kevin Garnett, under Flip Saunders, changed everything: eight straight playoff trips from 1997 to 2004, seven straight first-round exits, then a 58-24 season in 2003-04 that brought the top seed in the West, the first division title, a conference finals run and Garnett's MVP. Edwards, the No. 1 pick in 2020, now carries a similar weight. With Chris Finch he has four straight playoff appearances and conference finals trips in 2024 and 2025. Like Garnett's teams, his are still trying to get past one round. The franchise still measures itself against Garnett's era, and the next round is the one it has not reached.
October 21, Four Years Later
On this date in 2022, Minnesota lost 132-126 to Utah, the same year Rudy Gobert came over from the Jazz. Gobert is 34 now and still the anchor, averaging 11.5 rebounds last season, but the defense slipped to eighth in the league with a 112.5 rating. The summer trade that sent Naz Reid to Charlotte brought LaMelo Ball, who averaged 20.1 points and 7.1 assists last season, and fans are still debating whether he fits a team built on defense first. Minnesota beat Miami 125-124 in the preseason on October 10 but finished the exhibition schedule with losses to Detroit and Chicago. Donte DiVincenzo is out with a right Achilles injury and is not projected back before April 2.
When do the Timberwolves open the 2026-27 season?
Minnesota opens on Wednesday, October 21, at the Miami Heat on ESPN. The Wolves then visit Orlando on October 23.
Did the Timberwolves and Heat join the NBA at the same time?
Yes. Both were granted expansion franchises on April 22, 1987, along with Orlando and Charlotte. Minnesota played its first game on November 3, 1989.
