(Photo by Statmate)
The Minnesota Timberwolves were born in 1989, as the NBA developed "Expansion Fever". Their history has seen some highs and some lows.....actually, a lot of lows. But in 2020, they had a high. The T-Wolves won the #1 pick! But it happened after a low, abbreviated season. The organization's draft history has had the same situation.
1989: POOH RICHARDSON, PG, UCLA (10th pick)
Pooh was the team's inaugural first-round selection, but turns out, he wasn't their point guard of the future as he was traded within three years. He would go on and play for 11 seasons in the NBA.
1990: FELTON SPENCER, C, LOUISVILLE (6th pick), GERALD GLASS, G, OLE MISS (20th pick)
Pervis Ellison 2.0. Like Richardson, Spencer was traded within three years and like Richardson, Spencer had a long NBA career (12 seasons). I smell a trend here. Glass didn't do much either.
1991: LUC LONGLEY, C, NEW MEXICO (7th pick)
The T-Wolves decided to draft another center after figuring Spencer wasn't the long-term answer at the 5, and he was a key contributor for three NBA championships......for the Bulls with MJ and Pippen.
Oh, he was traded after two seasons with Minnesota.
1992: CHRISTIAN LAETTNER, F/C, DUKE (3th pick)
After Shaq and Zo, the Wolves selected the most hated player in college basketball history, according to 30 for 30, but had one of the most celebrated careers in college basketball history. That didn't translate into a great career, It wasn't bad, either. He did make an All-Star team. Traded after four seasons. (13 seasons in the NBA).
1993: ISAIAH (J.R.) RIDER, G, UNLV (5th pick)
The Timberwolves wanted to add an explosive wing to complement their big men. They thought they accomplished that by drafting Rider, who had character issues coming out of college. His high point was winning the Slam Dunk contest in his rookie season, bringing the between-the-legs dunk into national spotlight. Played only four seasons in Minnesota. But is an NBA champion with the Lakers
1994: DONYELL MARSHALL, F, UCONN
The Timberwolves wanted to add an explosive scoring forward to complement their big men and Isaiah Rider. They thought they accomplished that by drafting Marshall. He lasted a season and a half before being traded for Tom Gugliotta. After his NBA career ended, he began coaching and is now the head man at Central Connecticut since 2016.
As you can see, the Minnesota Timberwolves haven't exactly drafted players to build a foundation. It was around this point where Kevin McHale became the GM of the team.
1995: KEVIN GARNETT, F, FARRAGUT ACADEMY (5th pick)
The T-Wolves decided to take a flyer on the high school standout from Chicago by way of South Carolina because what the hell. Garnett would become the best player in franchise history, a Hall-of-Famer, won the league MVP award in 2004 with the Wolves going to the Western Conference Finals. He would end up winning a NBA title with Boston in 2008, where anything is possible. Also, he has aspirations of purchasing a stake of ownership of the Wolves. Get it, Kevin. The franchise wouldn't be around without KG.
1996: RAY ALLEN, G, UCONN (5th pick) traded for Stephon Marbury)
Minnesota drafted versatile sharpshooter Ray Allen, only to be traded for future franchise point guard Stephon Marbury. Starbury and Garnett seemed to be building blocks for the Wolves' future, until Marbury became a distraction about his contract. He does have a point. Stephon was traded by his fourth season (here we go again). Allen would become one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history, and ironically, play with Garnett in Boston for that championship. Anything is possible.
1997: PAUL GRANT, C, WISCONSIN (20th pick)
Grant missed his entire season of 1997-1998 and didn't make his debut until 1999. He didn't do much and was (you guessed it) traded one month later to the Milwaukee Bucks.
1998: RADOSLAV NESTEROVIC, C, SLEVONIA (17th pick)
Actually, "Rasho" was a decent role player for the Wolves. Unfortunately, he left after four years to sign a six-year contract with the Spurs, where he won a title.
1999: WALLY SZCZERBIAK, F, MIAMI (OH) (6th pick)
Szczerbiak was a limitless scorer in college and though, he wasn't the superstar the Wolves envisioned, he was a key contributor in the team's drive for Western supremacy in 2004. After his playing career ended, he transitioned into broadcasting and is an analyst for MSG Network.
2000: (traded pick to Toronto, used to select Morris Peterson)
Minnesota probably could have used this pick.
2001: So, the Timberwolves decided to put weird provisions that effected the salary cap in the contract signed for forward Joe Smith. The NBA and especially David Stern (God, rest his soul), thought it wasn't funny and punished the team with suspensions and stripping them of draft picks. The real question is that you did all that for Joe Smith?
2003: NDUDI EBI, F, OKLAHOMA (26th pick)
The NBA allowed the Timberwolves to keep this pick, and the team probably wished that it was forfeited. Ebi didn't do anything and left the NBA after just three seasons.
2005: RASHAD MCCANTS, G, NORTH CAROLINA (14th pick)
The Wolves finally received a decent place in the draft by selecting McCants. He was solid, but not the superstar they wanted and traded him to the Kings in 2009. Around that time, McCants dated socialite/millionaire/reality star Khloe Kardashian and he claimed in an interview that was the reason he didn't receive a huge contract to continue his NBA career. Tristan Thompson should consider himself lucky.
2006: BRANDON ROY, G, WASHINGTON (6th pick) (traded to Portland for Randy Foye)
The Wolves drafted Roy, but the Trailblazers wanted him.....like really wanted him. The trade netted Foye, who actually was not a bad player. Unfortunately, Roy won Rookie of the Year and became a superstar overnight until a degenerate knee condition cut his career short at five seasons. He ironically tried to make a comeback with the Wolves in 2012, but it fell short after five games.
2007: COREY BREWER, F, FLORIDA (7th pick)
The Wolves went back to lottery land and selected Brewer from a back-to-back national championship team in Florida. He had limited potential and once again, wasn't the superstar the Wolves envisioned. He left the team for the Mavericks in 2011, where he won a championship and surprisingly, is still in the league to this day.
2008: O.J. MAYO, G, USC (3rd pick) (traded to Memphis for Kevin Love)
Minnesota choose the controversial Mayo and quickly traded him for UCLA power forward Kevin Love. The void was open after the team traded Garnett for a wheelbarrow full of prospects. Love would become a superstar and later, become an NBA champion in 2016 with Cleveland.
That's right. Another franchise-altering power forward named Kevin left the Timberwolves to win a championship with another team. Tragic.
2009: RICKY RUBIO, G, SPAIN (5th pick); JONNY FLYNN, G, SYRACUSE (6th pick); TY LAWSON, G, NORTH CAROLINA (18th pick, traded to DENVER), WAYNE ELLINGTON, G, NORTH CAROLINA (28th pick)
So after Kevin McHale and the organization "parted ways", the Wolves hired David Kahn as GM. They had four first-round picks at their disposal. He ended up drafting three point guards and a shooting guard. What? Don't get me wrong, Rubio has had a productive career in the NBA. He has developed his game from being the Spanish Pete Maravich. Flynn was good during his rookie season, then just fell off after that and faded out of the league. Lawson was a key contributor to DENVER's rise to prominence in the late 2000's, but personal issues forced him out of the league and he went to China to continue his professional basketball career.......until social media posts got him banned in China. Ellington has ha a low-key, long career in the NBA as a three-point specialist. See here, the T-Wolves had an opportunity to build a foundation in a draft that featured All-Stars, MVP's, NBA champions and future Hall-of-Famers, but decided to do whatever they did. Also, none of the PG's they selected was named Steph Curry, who..(Wolves fans, grab the Kleenex)....was there for the taking.
2010: WESLEY JOHNSON, F, SYRACUSE (4th pick); LUKE BABBITT, F, NEVADA (16th pick, traded to Portland); TREVOR BOOKER, F, CLEMSON (23th pick, traded to Washington)
So after the 2009 draft debacle, the T-Wolves had three first-round selections and David Kahn decided to draft three forwards, and trade two of them away. Wesley Johnson was basically a fringe player and even I knew that. They could of selected Paul George, Gordon Hayward, DeMarcus Cousins.....now I see why they passed on Cousins. Babbitt didn't become the player Portland or any team that employed him thought. Booker wasn't anything special. He was ok, but didn't do anything that made anyone jump out their seats or deceive anyone's eyes. Oh....wait, he did execute a trick shot against OKC that was mind-blowing, which everyone should watch it on a video-based website. So, after six first-round picks in the last two years that really didn't CHANGE the franchise (I give Rubio a pass), you knew where this going. Also, in the Trevor Booker trade, the Wolves received Lazar Hayward, which didn't do much. The Timberwolves were again, not good, and secured the #2 pick in the 2011 NBA draft. In a prospect pool loaded with talent, there is no way the T-Wolves could strikeout again.
2011: DERRICK WILLIAMS, F, ARIZONA (2th pick)
To be fair, I looked at 5 mock drafts before doing this, and it was unanimous, behind Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams was the surefire second pick in the draft. Here's the problem, Derrick Williams is a forward with freakish ability to play in the league, but.........it didn't translate to the NBA. He can be a small forward, but could not shoot. He can be a power forward, but could not rebound or defend in the paint. The Wolves traded to him after two seasons to the.....SACRAMENTO KINGS! C'mon, man. The organization could have selected:
Enes Kanter
Tristan Thompson
Jonas Valanciunas
Kemba Walker
Klay Thompson
Kawhi Leonard
Nikola Vucevic
Tobias Harris
Kenneth Faried (I guess)
Nikola Mirotic
Jimmy Butler (that comes later)
Bojan Bogdanovic
Shelvin Mack
Chandler Parsons
Jon Leuer
Davis Bertans
Or even the last pick in the draft, Isaiah Thomas.
These players had a more productive career than Derrick Williams. Is he a bust? You tell me.
2012: Picks were traded away, because what the hell!
2013: TREY BURKE, G, MICHIGAN (9th pick, traded to Utah for the rights to Shabazz Muhammad)
In what was called one of the worst drafts in recent history (but not really) due to Anthony Bennett being the #1 pick and one of the biggest busts of all-time (wait for it), the Wolves selected guard Trey Burke and quickly traded him to the Jazz for a once, great high school prospect in Shabazz Muhammad. He had experts questioning his age and sat out games at UCLA due to allegations of unofficial university visits. It prompted Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to sit at courtside during a game, wearing a shirt that read "Free Shabazz". Despite that, Muhammad's NBA career was uneventful and now plays in China. Burke has been able to hang around the league.
By the way, the pick after the trade belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks. Take a guess who they selected? C'mon, take a guess. (Got the Kleenex out, Wolves fans) None other than two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. In a way, Utah whiffed, too.
2014: ZACH LAVINE, G, UCLA (13th pick)
When the T-Wolves drafted LaVine, he seemed to mouth the words "What the f.....Anyway, he was a prospect with a high ceiling and tremendous leaping ability. He would showcase that ability at the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest, where he and fellow 2014 draftee Aaron Gordon put on one of the most entertaining final rounds in recent history. LaVine won that contest after taking the title the year before, making him a back-to-back dunk champion. He has added outside scoring to his repertoire and is one of the top scorers in the NBA (25.5 PPG this season), but he's not in Minnesota anymore. More on that later.
But wait, there's more! Remember I mentioned that Kevin Love won a championship with Cleveland? That happened, because after months of rumors and unhappiness, Love was traded to the Cavaliers in a three-team trade that yielded former #1 overall pick and all-time bust, Anthony Bennett and one of the most heralded prospects to come out of Canada and 2014 #1 overall pick, Andrew Wiggins. He would have an up-and-down career in Minnesota, in which he would reassemble the sought-after prospect, but would also reassemble an underachieving flop. (Here comes a shameless plug) I actually produce a blog on this a couple years ago if you want to check that out. Wiggins was traded during the deadline to Golden State.
2015: KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS, C, KENTUCKY (1st pick)
The Wolves were terrible, as in the worst record in the league terrible. But a golden light was at the end of a dark tunnel. The Wolves won the draft lottery! They then selected Kentucky wrecking ball Karl-Anthony Towns. Here's what's weird about the Wolves, they seem to be able to draft franchise-altering forward/centers without a hitch as in Garnett and Love. Towns is that, becoming one of the most versatile centers in the NBA. Watch this man run the floor. He's 6'11" 250 lbs. Fun fact: The #2 pick, Ohio State guard DeAngelo Russell is now a teammate of Towns in Minnesota, because of a trade with Golden State that sent Andrew Wiggins packing. The Wolves, also received Duke point guard Tyus Jones in a trade with Cleveland. I wish Minnesota would have kept him, since he is a good role player and a raw prospect coming out of college. He is a good role player in Memphis.
2016: KRIS DUNN, G, PROVIDENCE (5th pick)
I have to confess. I almost forgot that the Wolves had a pick in 2016. That is nothing against Kris Dunn, who is an excellent role player who (sigh) doesn't play for Minnesota.
2017: LAURI MARKKAKEN, F, ARIZONA (7th pick, traded to Chicago)
The Wolves took a flyer on a smooth-shooting forward from Finland, then traded him, Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn to Chicago for the rights to Justin Patton and Jimmy Butler. Coach and President of Basketball Operations Tim Thibodeau wanted to go all-in on the multiple All-Star and give Minnesota a push towards the playoffs. Which happened, then after the playoff appearance, Butler became agitated and upset at the organization (what a shocker), and forced a trade to Philadelphia that netted Dario Saric and Robert Covington.
2018: JOSH OKOGIE, G, GEORGIA TECH (20th pick)
Minnesota had a low draft pick in a while and drafted an unpolished prospect in Okogie out of Georgia Tech. I like Okogie, because he is an energy player who can score and play defense when needed. Once again, he is unpolished.
2019: CAM JOHNSON, F, NORTH CAROLINA (11th pick, traded to Phoenix for the rights to Jarrett Culver)
Also, Saric was part of the deal. Culver has potential, unfortunately, his rookie season wasn't as he hoped. Still, he's a rookie and can develop into a solid player. Let's hope.
So, the T-Wolves have had an interesting history when drafting in the first round. Very interesting. Well, at least they're not the Sacramento Kings.
Now, it's time for me to grab the Kleenex.
(Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball Reference)
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