Top 10 Draft Picks in Timberwolves History
By Ben Beecken
#3 – Stephon Marbury, Georgia Tech, #4 in 1996 draft
This draft night trade ended up with one of the stranger outcomes in recent memory.
The Timberwolves drafted sharpshooter Ray Allen, who currently holds the record for most made three-pointers in NBA history, with the fifth selection and then swapped him with the Milwaukee Bucks for Marbury.
The Wolves were looking to create a one-two, point guard-power forward tandem with Marbury and Garnett, and the early returns looked fantastic. Marbury’s rookie year saw the Timberwolves make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and his second season was a 45-win year for the Wolves.
But then the jealousy set in, and Marbury was simply not interested in playing second banana to Garnett. The Wolves had to trade the player whom they had thought was the point guard of the future, receiving veteran guard Terrell Brandon in return.
Wolves fans never got to see what Kevin McHale and Flip Saunders had envisioned: a fully-developed Garnett and Marbury pick-and-roll tandem wreaking havoc on the Western Conference.
Next: #2 - Kevin Love