Top 50 Minnesota Timberwolves
Entering the National Basketball Association as an expansion team in 1989, the Minnesota Timberwolves have not yet won a championship, though the acquisition of future Hall of Famer, Kevin Garnett put the T-Wolves in the national spotlight and made them a force in the Western Conference.With Garnett, Minnesota would become a playoff contender, however, would lose in the First Round seven times in a row. In their eighth playoff attempt, the 2003-04 season, they would break through to the Western Conference Finals but would fall to the Los Angeles Lakers.
They have only been to the playoffs three times since, but they are facing their highest expectations in years.
This list is up to the end of the 2023/24 season.
Note: Basketball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
This entry is exceptionally tricky as Jimmy Butler only played 69 Games for the Timberwolves, and he forced a trade to get out. That being said, the Shooting Guard put forth high numbers with a 22.0 Point per Game Average and a 23.5 PER, which are excellent statistics for his tenure there.
Without a doubt, the three seasons that Tony Campbell spent with the Minnesota Timberwolves were by far the most productive of his NBA career. Joining the expansion Timberwolves from the loaded Los Angeles Lakers, Campbell became a starter and rattled off two consecutive seasons of 20 Points per Game, more than triple what he had before. Following his run in Minnesota, he would be back on the bench, but he was one of the few…
Taj Gibson was used mostly as a sixth man through his career but his arrival to Minnesota before the 2017/18 Season would see him secure the starting Power Forward role for the Timberwolves. Playing two years with Minnesota before he signed with the Knicks, Gibson has had a pair of 10 Point per Game Seasons (12.2 & 10.8) with good rebounded tallies (6.9 per Game). Gibson is not an elite player, but he does a…
D’Angelo Russell first turned heads with the Los Angeles Lakers, but was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2018, where he was an All-Star in 2019. The Guard was then dealt to Golden State where he was part of the package to bring Kevin Durant. As good as Russell was, he was part of another deal shortly after, where he was deal to his current squad, Minnesota, who sent Andrew Wiggins the other way. Russell, meshed well…
A two time All-Star with Portland when he arrived in Minnesota in his early 30’s, Terry Porter brought veteran leadership and poise to the T-Wolves when he arrived. While Porter was now coming off of the bench, it was while he was there that Minnesota finally broke through to the playoffs and had a winning season. His locker room presence certainly helped in that regard.
The last two years of Fred Hoiberg’s playing career were spent with Minnesota where he did exactly the same thing he did everywhere else he played; come off the bench and drain threes. Hoiberg’s final year as a player actually saw him post his best shooting numbers by a wide margin, even leading the Association in Three Point Shooting Percentage. Hoiberg was forced to retire due to medical reasons and he would join the Timberwolves…
The career of Stephon Marbury (“Starbury”) has been controversial for sure, but it was in Minnesota where he began his NBA career, though we wonder if there are people in the Gopher State who wish he never arrived!
From the former Yugoslavian nation of Slovenia, Radoslav “Rasho” Nesterovic was a late first rounder who may not have done things fancy, but did the little things to make his teams better. Nesterovic grew his game every season in Minnesota, leading up to an 11.2 Points per Game season, the most productive of his career. It was so good, he was signed by the San Antonio Spurs and would earn a NBA Championship Ring with…
The last of the Original Minnesota Timberwolves, Doug West played over 600 games for the franchise. West was a very popular player among the T-Wolves fans and would have his career year in the 1992-93 campaign where he averaged 19 Points per Game. While West played a lot of games for Minnesota he finished his T-Wolves career (and NBA career in general) with a negative VORP and other advanced metrics, basically indicating that he was…
Dean Garrett won the NCAA championship with the Indiana Hoosiers and the year later was drafted late in the Second Round. Garrett never played in the NBA for eight years as he instead played in Europe but it was with the Timberwolves where he would finally play professionally in North America. The big man would have two runs with Minnesota, often in a starting role. While Garrett was not a star, he did actually lead…
In terms of advanced metrics, Craig Smith is better than you remember. Smith may never have pulled off anything higher than 10.1 Points per Game in his career (which he did in his third and final season in Minnesota), but his PER was higher than many of the scorers who played for the T-Wolves, and he was always a solid defender. Smith was a Second Team All Rookie for the team in 2006/07 season.
The Timberwolves drafted Jaden McDaniels with the 28th Overall Pick in 2020, and the Washington Husky proved Minnesota right with their selection. McDaniels saw significant playing time as a rookie, and as he enters his fifth year, his defensive versatility to shut down forwards regardless of size and skill. As each season progressed, McDaniels kept improving, and though he is a streaky scorer, he has now averaged double-digits in Points over the last two years.…
In the broader scope, Mike Conley is one of the most underrated basketball players in the world, but on the inside, Conley has been a coveted player due to his selfless and team-first attitude. During his 15th season, Conley was traded from the Utah Jazz to Minnesota and finished the year continuing to average over 10 Points per Game, earning his fourth Sportsmanship Award. Last season, Conley continued his steak of consistency (11.4 PPG), helped…
Kyle Anderson signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves as a nine-year veteran. While his stay in the Gopher State was only two seasons, it was marked with versatility, depth, and leadership. Anderson’s defensive skills and offensive vision made up for a lack of size and pure talent, but he was undoubtedly an asset to Minnesota in his two seasons there. Anderson averaged In the summer of 2024, Anderson was traded to the Golden State Warriors as…
In all three of his seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ryan Gomes averaged over 10 Points per Game, numbers that are productive for any Forward. Gomes arrived to Minnesota via the blockbuster Kevin Garnett trade and did provide good two-way play for the T-Wolves, though realistically his time with Minnesota was certainly in the team’s down period and may not be remembered much, if at all.
Known for his solid perimeter defense, Trenton Hassell played the meat of his professional career with the Minnesota Timberwolves. While he played the role of “Shooting” Guard, he was mostly valued for his defensive matchups, though realistically he would have probably been better off being used off of the bench.
An All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks in 2015, Jeff Teague signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves prior to the 2017/18 Season where he would take over the starting Point Guard role. In Teague’s first full season with the T-Wolves, he finished 8th in Assists per Game and would have finished higher the year after had he played enough games to qualify (injuries prevented that). Teague played two-and-a-half seasons with Minnesota before being traded back to Atlanta.
Once known as the “Shaq of the MAC” from his days with the Ohio Bobcats, Gary Trent would spend his final three seasons in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves. No longer a starter, Trent was used in varying roles, mostly to create whatever matchup discrepancy he could, doing the little things that can not always be quantified on a stat sheet.
Kevin Martin put up some decent offensive numbers (though nothing decent on the defensive side of the court) in his injury riddled time with the Minnesota. Martin averaged 17.1 Points per Game, including a 20.0 PPG over his 2014/15 season, though that was only 39 Games. Had he been healthier as a member of the Timberwolves, his ranking would certainly be significantly higher.
A Shooting Guard who would win the Slam Dunk Championship as a member of the Timberwolves, Isaiah Rider was a dunking machine as the 5th overall pick in the draft. Rider would exceed over 20 Points per Game for the 1994/95 Season and a near 19 PPG as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.