30 Greatest Moments In Timberwolves History

#10 – Timberwolves Acquire Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell

The Timberwolves were coming off the best season in franchise history after winning 51 games in 2002-03, but the elephant in the room was a seventh straight first-round playoff exit.

President of basketball operations Kevin McHale (finally) recognized just how barren superstar Kevin Garnett’s “supporting” cast was after Garnett somehow dragged the roster to that 51-31 record with an insane year in which he led the team in virtually every statistical category — #17 on this countdown.

In less than a month’s time over the summer of 2003, McHale acquired guard Sam Cassell and former All-Star swingman Latrell Sprewell, an unheard of series of moves for the normally conservative Timberwolves franchise.

Cassell was first, as the Wolves followed up the June draft by sending Joe Smith and Anthony Peeler to Milwaukee in exchange for Cassell and Ervin Johnson. Cassell would make his first and only All-Star squad with the Wolves in 2003-04 and until a hip injury sidelined him midway through the playoffs, he was clearly the second best player on one of the best teams in the entire league. Even Johnson started 47 games at center in 2003-04.

The Timberwolves then sent out the contracts of Terrell Brandon and Marc Jackson in a three-team deal to acquire the enigmatic Sprewell from the New York Knicks. He was a four-time All-Star with an up-and-down career that included abusing a coach and a litany of other on and off-court issues.

But McHale needed to take the risk and it cost him virtually nothing to do it. The result? The first (and still the only) playoff series win in franchise history and a berth in the Western Conference Finals.

Next: #9 - First Playoff Game In Franchise History