Pre-Draft Outlook
A late surge kept this from being a lost season for the Timberwolves, but it still qualified as a lost opportunity. Six fewer victories than in 2021-22 and a faster first-round ouster was not what GM Tim Connelly had in mind when he emptied his cupboard to bring in Rudy Gobert. When Karl-Anthony Towns missed 53 games, the tower tandem experiment never really got tested. But the players and Draft picks sent out to Utah still loom large, as the Wolves shift gears to make Anthony Edwards the centerpiece of their centers-heavy operation.
The Way To Go
Minnesota’s best option probably is to just hit a reset button on last season. Come to training camp as if Gobert just arrived, start working on ways in which he and Towns can co-exist and thrive while subtly shifting more responsibility and say-so to Edwards. The Wolves don’t have Draft assets and their payroll is top heavy. An alternative would be to find a taker for Towns or Gobert, but that would be a rather quick surrender on what at least Connelly thought was a good idea last summer.
— Steve Aschburner
Here’s a quick look at who the Minnesota Timberwolves have under contract, who is a free agent this summer and who they added in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Under Contract
G: Anthony Edwards
G: Mike Conley
G: Jordan McLaughlin
G: Wendell Moore Jr.
F/G: Kyle Anderson
F: Jaden McDaniels
F: Josh Minott
F: Taurean Prince
C/F: Karl-Anthony Towns
C: Rudy Gobert
Free Agents
G: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (restricted)
G: Jaylen Nowell (unrestricted)
G: Austin Rivers (unrestricted)
F: Matt Ryan (two-way)
F/C: Nathan Knight (team option)
C/F: Naz Reid (unrestricted)
C: Luka Garza (two-way)
> 2023 Free Agent Tracker
Last Year’s Draft
2022: Jake LaRavia (19)**, Walker Kessler (22)***, Wendell Moore Jr. (26)*, TyTy Washington (29)**, Bryce McGowens (40)**, Josh Minott (45)*, Kendall Brown (48)**, Matteo Spagnolo (50)
* = acquired via trade
** = traded in draft-night deal
*** = traded in offseason deal