Why is it difficult for the Timberwolves to recruit superstars? The weather is too cold and the market is small, so it is difficult to attract superstars

On June 20, the cold weather in Minneapolis seemed to always take the lead at the NBA free market negotiating table. When Anthony Edwards soared into the air on the floor at the center of the target, the cold wind of minus 20 degrees Celsius outside the arena was whistling across the Mississippi River - which may explain why, in the past three decades, Kevin Garnett, the only self-trained superstar in the Timberwolves history, is willing to live forever. In the NBA, a league where stars' voice is growing, Minnesota's ice and snow not only freeze the lake, but also invisibly build an ice wall that hinders superstars' joining. The natural disadvantage of geographical location is as insurmountable as Minnesota's long winter. Minneapolis, located on the northern border of the United States, is covered with ice and snow for more than four months each year, with extreme temperatures reaching minus 30 degrees Celsius. In Jimmy Butler's departure farce in 2018, the All-Star player publicly complained about the training environment where "even breathing will freeze." Comparing the springy beaches in Los Angeles and the warm sunshine in Miami all year round, Minnesota's extreme cold climate naturally loses points in the assessment of star life quality. More importantly, the frequent home and away round trips in the NBA schedule have forced players to adapt to the temperature difference changes repeatedly. Former Timberwolves player Jared Vanderbilt once revealed: "Every time I come back from Florida away, the cold wind when the airplane door opens is like a knife cut. "

The shackles of the size of the market are as intuitive as the undulating curve of the target center attendance. This arena, which can accommodate only 18,978 people, is still ranked 18th in the league in regular season even when the team reaches the playoffs in 2023. Compared with the Knicks' Madison Square Garden's full scene of 21,000 people per game, Minneapolis' commercial value pales in comparison. Unspoken rules circulating within the league show that star endorsement revenue is positively correlated with the size of the city they are located - in New York or Los Angeles, star off-court revenue may double. Analysis of business endorsement revenue before Kevin Love's transfer to the Cavaliers in 2015 showed that its potential losses were as high as $8 million per year, which became the last straw that broke the determination to stay behind.

The management's decision-making chaos is like an unsolvable crack in the ice layer. After Garnett left the team in 2007, the team's failure to break through the first round for 14 consecutive years was closely related to the management's draft mistakes. In 2009, Ricky Rubio and Joni Flynn missed Stephen Curry, and in 2011, Derek Williams and ignored Clay Thompson. These decision-making mistakes formed a vicious cycle. In 2017, the deal with Zach Laven and other chips for Butler was eventually turned into a locker room bomb. Former general manager Scott Layden actually had the absurd operation of "forgot the time difference and causing timeout" when he traded the first round of draft night in 2019. This amateur performance discouraged the stars. The lack of team culture is more difficult to heat up than the air conditioner in the target center. The iron-blooded tradition left behind by the Garnett era gradually faded with the distortion of the early 21st century, and replaced by the loose atmosphere that Butler criticized as the "worst training team". When No. 2020 No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards first arrived at the team, he was surprised at the desertedness of the training hall: "I thought NBA players would practice until late at night. "Compared with the Spurs' unshakable morning exercise tradition or the Heat's famous "cultural brick wall", the Timberwolves lack the spiritual core that allows the stars to identify with. What's even more fatal is that the local media in Minnesota has formed public opinion pressure on the team. The Star Tribune once used "like a polar vortex to be desperate" to describe the team's performance. This negative exposure further weakens the attractiveness.

The imbalance in the salary structure is as hidden dangers as unswept snow. The five first-round picks given by Rudy Gobert in the 2022 transaction directly locked down the future operation space. What's even more difficult is that Edwards' maximum salary renewal with Jaden McDaniels will take effect in the 2024-25 season, when the team's total salary is expected to exceed the luxury tax line of $20 million. This abnormal structure of "three maximum salary + base salary filling" makes the stars unable to see hope for reinforcement. Before leaving the team in 2023, D'Angelo Russell bluntly said: "We will never be able to complete the eight-player rotation needed to compete for the championship. "

The shortcomings exposed by the broadcast are hidden fatal injuries. Located in Minneapolis, the central time zone, the ratings of prime time games on the east and west coasts are naturally limited. Statistics of the league's live broadcasts in the United States in 2023 show that the Timberwolves only won 15 games, less than one-third of the Lakers (43 games). This exposure gap directly affects the commercial value of stars. An executive of a well-known sports brand revealed: "Stars playing in Minnesota have a sneaker sales of 40% lower than those in coastal cities. "When LeBron James gets more Hollywood crossover opportunities in Los Angeles, Timberwolves stars may not even be able to win local car advertising.

However, the performance of eliminating the Nuggets in the first round of the 2023 playoffs is like the first ray of warm sunshine in the snow-melting season. On the night when Edwards scored 36 points, the sound of the explosion in the center of the target made the "Wood Wolf howl" return to the league's vision. The $150 million training base that the team is building will be equipped with the league's first player-specific cryogenic recovery room, which may transform climate disadvantages into sports science advantages. More importantly, after the new broadcast contract takes effect in 2026, a sharp rise in salary cap may alleviate the existing structural pressure. As the new president Tim Connery said: "We want to prove that the Arctic Circle can also give birth to champions." Perhaps when Edwards grows into a true star, Minnesota's extreme cold will no longer be an obstacle, but will become a unique melting pot for tempering champions.