Timberwolves trade 40 to Charlotte for 45 and future 2nd

The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the 2022 NBA Draft with four NBA draft picks and the expectation from many that the team would emerge with two prospects, a draft and stash Euroleague player, and trading away a final second-round pick.

But that all flew out the window when the Minnesota Timberwolves were on the clock at the 19th overall pick. Rather than select a number of valuable prospects on the board, the TWolves chose to trade back and traded their first-round pick to their past NBA Playoffs opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies, to get the Grizzlies the 22nd overall and 29th overall picks. To complete the trade, the Timberwolves sweetened the deal with a future 2nd round pick.

Okay, back to the draft. Love it or hate it, the Timberwolves burned their first first-round pick and 22nd overall pick on Auburn center Walker Kessler.

From this point, the Timberwolves held a second first-round pick and three second-round picks, less one future 2nd rounder. The team was clearly enamored with a player who they have worked out, Duke wing Wendell Moore. That triggered trade-happy Tim Connelly to move once more.

The Timberwolves quickly converted that pick into Wendell Moore, and the Timberwolves roster had been bolstered by two players chosen in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

By this point in time, the team had two players and still had three second-round picks.  That not only fell short of what was expected by the team but clearly was taking the Timberwolves in the opposite direction from where the team expected to be going.

Pick 19 – Traded to the Memphis Grizzlies (plus future 2nd) for picks 22 and 29
Pick 22 – Selected Auburn C Walker Kessler
Pick 26 – Acquired from Dallas Mavericks – Selected Duke SG/SF Wendell Moore
Pick 29 – Traded to the Dallas Mavericks (plus future 2nd)

As the team entered the second round of the NBA Draft, the team was still open to wheel and deal and saw the opportunity to do a bit of that at the 40th overall pick of the draft.

Pick 40 – Traded to the Charlotte Hornets for pick 45 and a future 2nd

That placed the Minnesota Timberwolves on the board, still with three second-round picks, but in a position far more likely to trade picks away or simply choose to select an internationally based player(s) in a draft and stash scenario.

The Timberwolves now had the following picks on the books:

Pick 45
Pick 48
Pick 50

But at the same time, the team had the following net impact on future second-round picks: Less one 2023 MIN second-round pick in the Memphis trade, less two future second-round picks to trade up to 26, plus a 2023 NYK second-round pick from the Charlotte Hornets. At this point, the Timberwolves had reduced future second-round picks by two.

Of course, the night was still young, so off we go to discuss the next pick.