Minnesota Timberwolves: Offseason Calendar
The Minnesota Timberwolves offseason started earlier than they would have liked. Here is what to look forward to this summer.
With the playoffs underway, the Minnesota Timberwolves are watching from home for a 13th consecutive season.
As we jealously watch the other teams battle night in and night out, we imagine what could have, should have, or would have been for the Timberwolves this season.
In order for us to refocus on the offseason and moving forward, here is a calendar of events to look forward to this summer.
NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline
The first date to keep in mind is April 23 at 10:59 p.m. CT.
This is when players who are not automatically eligible for the draft (mostly underclassmen and international prospects) must declare their eligibility for the 2017 NBA draft.
This does not mean that the prospects have to stay committed to the draft, as they can still pull their name out of contention later. This gives prospects the right to go through the combine and team workouts as a way to garner their interest in the draft.
A college player may now declare for the draft and attend the combine and team workouts as many times as they want without losing their college eligibility, as long as they didn’t sign with an agent.
NBA Draft Combine
This year’s combine happens in Chicago from May 9-14.
The combine is a place for teams to get an ultra-close look at the players they may be drafting. Invited players go through rigorous testing including interviews, measurements, shooting drills, medical testing, and multiple other athletic tests.
This is all very nerve-racking as it happens in front of tons of scouts and teams’ general managers.
The draft is one of the most crucial steps in the draft process as it gives the teams an up-close look at the players they may be drafting. It also gives teams a lasting impression as a lot of general managers are susceptible to recency bias, allowing the players with good workouts to move up the boards quickly.
NBA Draft Lottery
One of the most exciting events of the NBA season happens on May 16.
On this day, 14 unlucky teams are showcased in front of the NBA world as the order of the draft is announced. Each team gets a moment in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
The lottery has made or broken a lot of franchise’s futures. It is a night where a year full of tanking can go out the window quickly.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a 5.3 percent chance at the top pick in the NBA draft and an 18 percent chance of landing a top-three pick.
Their most likely pick will be the sixth selection in the draft and the worst they could do is the ninth pick.
NBA Early Entrant Withdrawal Deadline
By June 12 at 4 p.m. CT early entrants into the NBA draft must withdraw their names if they no longer want to be considered for the draft.
Last year, the NCAA agreed to conveniently move this date to two weeks after the combine. This allows the players to go through all the workouts with NBA teams to get a true sense of their draft value.
As long as underclassmen didn’t sign with an agent, they are eligible to return to their school and continuing playing college ball if they choose to do so.
NBA Draft
June 22.
This is one of the most exciting days of the year. The draft is always full of exciting and unpredictable moments as it never fails to bring surprises. Your team’s outlook can change with the snap of a finger.
With the Timberwolves most likely to draft sixth, they have a number of options at their disposal in regards to keeping or trading the pick. What they ultimately decide to do with their pick will go a long way in determining their future.
Awards Announced
The awards announcement was pushed all the way back to June 26 this season, which is after the NBA Finals are completed.
The only chance the Timberwolves have of landing a player on an awards list may be Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns has an outside shot of landing on the All-NBA Third Team.
Other than Towns, it will be a quiet award season for the Wolves.
Free Agency Begins
On July 1, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the rest of the NBA will be able to verbally agree to sign free-agents.
Although teams cannot yet officially sign these players, see DeAndre Jordan and the Dallas Mavericks, they can reach a verbal agreement on a deal.
This will be a good chance for fans to gauge the interests the Minnesota Timberwolves will be able to garner from prospective players. It is unknown how much the Wolves are willing to spend, given the massive decisions that loom for players such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach LaVine.
NBA Summer League
From July1-17, new draftees and young players across the league will get an opportunity to make an early impression on their NBA teams.
It will be a chance for players like Kris Dunn to get a chance to hone their craft against other players who are in similar circumstances.
As we saw last year with Dunn, success in the summer league doesn’t exactly correlate with success in the NBA regular season.
Free Agency Moratorium Period Ends
On July 6, NBA teams will officially be able to sign players to their roster.
This is when a lot of the reported deals from earlier in the week come to life as we receive more information about the details of the contract.
This is also when teams are free to begin trading players again.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will have a busy offseason with multiple trade pieces and open roster spots they need to fill.
Next: How Good Are The Timberwolves' Big 3?
Get ready for an eventful and crucial summer for the Timberwolves.