8. Nikola Pekovic
Nikola Pekovic turned out to be a major steal for the Timberwolves when he was selected with the first pick of the 2008 NBA Draft’s second round.
Pekovic could have gone much higher in the draft but slid to the second round because he had just signed a new contract with his Euroleague team prior to the 2008 draft.
That made him practically a lock to be selected with the first pick of the second round due to the Timberwolves being able to pay him more money than a first-rounder when he finally did decide to come over seas to the NBA.
Two years after he was drafted, he signed a three-year $15 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves and made his NBA debut in 2010.
Pekovic’s rookie year wasn’t stellar as he only averaged 5.5 points and three rebounds per game.
He soon figured it out though and increased his scoring average each of the next three seasons, maxing out at 17.5 points per game during the 2013-14 season.
That season, Pekovic finished third in the voting for the Most Improved Player award.
Two years later he was rewarded with a five-year, $60 million deal.
Unfortunately, the contract has turned out to be a waste of money for the Timberwolves, as Pekovic has missed a lot of time due to injury.
He initially injured his ankle during the 2013-14 season and hasn’t been able to fully recover since.
He has only played in 43 total games over the last three seasons. That includes missing the entire 2016-17 year.
Pekovic is entering a crucial contract year in 2017-18, which will likely affect his NBA status going forward.
Overall, Pekovic’s career averages of 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game land him at number eight.