The Minnesota Timberwolves are moving on from Julian Phillips as the franchise continues its aggressive offseason overhaul.
According to NBA insider Michael Scotto, Minnesota will decline Phillips’ $2.41 million team option for the 2026-27 season and will not extend him a qualifying offer, making the 22-year-old forward an unrestricted free agent.
The decision comes just months after the Timberwolves acquired Phillips during the 2025-26 campaign and reflects the club’s changing roster priorities following a series of blockbuster moves.
Phillips appeared in just 13 regular-season games for Minnesota after arriving from the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 3.2 points and 0.4 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game while shooting 42.4% from the field and 25.0% from three-point range.
Across the entire 2025-26 season, split between Chicago and Minnesota, Phillips played 48 games and averaged 2.9 points, 1.0 rebound and 8.9 minutes while shooting 42.1% overall and 30.8% from beyond the arc.
Originally selected by the Bulls in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft, Phillips showed incremental improvement during his second NBA season. In 2024-25, he appeared in 79 games and posted career highs of 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per contest while shooting 44.6% from the field and 32.7% from three. However, he was unable to build on that progress after being traded during the 2025-26 season.
Over three NBA seasons, Phillips has averaged 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 167 games while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 32.0% from three-point range.
Minnesota’s decision also reflects the franchise’s dramatically different outlook entering the 2026-27 season. The Timberwolves finished 49-33 last season, good for sixth place in the Western Conference, before eliminating the Denver Nuggets in the first round and falling to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the conference semifinals.
Since the season ended, Minnesota has reshaped its core. The Timberwolves first traded Julius Randle in a salary-clearing deal before acquiring All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets. Ball arrives after averaging 20.1 points and 7.1 assists in 72 games last season and is expected to form a new backcourt alongside Anthony Edwards, who led Minnesota with 28.8 points per game.
The roster has also added rookie wing Isaiah Evans, selected with the 33rd overall pick after Minnesota moved back from No. 28 in the draft. Ayo Dosunmu has been retained, while Josh Green joined the team as part of the Ball trade, giving the Timberwolves additional depth on the perimeter.
