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Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 worst draft trades

By Christian Anton

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces the first overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces the first overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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1.  A future HOF shooting guard is shipped to Milwaukee.  

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Ray Allen with the fifth pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.

Just think about that for a second and imagine Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen as the two cornerstone pieces of the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Two future Hall of Fame players, who ended up winning a championship twelve years later in Boston, were once Timberwolves together.

Instead the Timberwolves moved Ray Allen for another guard in Stephon Marbury.  The Marbury-Garnett duo was one that looked poised to be the next big thing in the NBA.  Marbury went on to average 16.9 points per game and 8.3 assists per game over the course of three years with the Timberwolves.

However, Marbury turned down a maximum extension from Glen Taylor looking to join another team in free agency.  The Timberwolves traded Marbury in a three team trade with the New Jersey Nets and Milwaukee Bucks in 1999.

Meanwhile Ray Allen went on to average 19.6 points per game over seven seasons with Milwaukee.  Over the course of his career Allen became a ten time All-Star and a two time NBA Champion. His greatest accomplishment however was becoming the all time leader in 3-pointers made in NBA history.

In 2008 the Boston Celtics added Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in order to make an NBA championship run.  The bold move by Danny Ainge worked, and the theoretical question of “what if KG and Ray Allen played together” became a reality.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves:: Top 5 draft prospects

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in another rare opportunity currently and let’s hope the current front office can learn from these past mistakes.