Minnesota is a destination, soak it in

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 14: Kyrie Irving
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 14: Kyrie Irving

Get used to it folks, Minnesota is where players want to be.

Yes, you read the title of the article correctly. The Minnesota Timberwolves are a destination.

Cats and dogs are still enemies and pigs have not sprouted wings. Also, as far as I know, hell is still hot as ever.

Ever since Kevin Garnett was sent to Boston to join Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, Minnesota has been one of the least desirable destinations for free agents. We are not even talking about the big names guys like LeBron James or Kevin Durant. Even mid level free agents would pass up the chance to play at the Target Center. There were many times where Glen Taylor and company would offer more money than others.

Even when KG called Minnesota home, he was never surrounded with top-tier talent.

While Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell were very good players, they are not home run signings. They were also at the back-end of their careers. Cassell playing for the Clippers/Celtics for three years. Sprewell famously rejecting the Timberwolves contract extension by saying “I’ve got a family to feed

More from Dunking with Wolves

Now, we fast forward to today. After plenty of questionable free agent signings over the years, it is time for Minnesota to have our time in the sun.

Kyrie Irving WANTS to come to Minnesota. Cleveland is not telling him they are going to send him to Minnesota if he doesn’t shape up. He wants to come here and be a part of this new era of Wolves basketball.

We have one man to thank for that: Jimmy Butler. He has a rare combination of experience playing for team USA combined with playing deep into the playoff multiple times. Butler has brought grit and swagger to the land of 10,000 lakes.

With the pedigree of Tom Thibodeau and the superstar status of Jimmy Buckets, the Wolves have been able to bring in free agents that never seemed possible 12 months ago. Players like Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, and Taj Gibson were always guys Wolves fans wanted but had to just assume they were going to end up elsewhere.

If they are able to give Kyrie his wish and bring him in, Towns, Butler and Kyrie (assuming they send Andrew Wiggins to Cleveland), would expect to see much more attention shown to Minnesota.

Even this offseason, Thibs and company are not done. They are still looking for a third point guard and a 3-point shooter.

If the Wolves decide to make the move for Kyrie or move on with the very good trio of KAT, Butler and Wiggins, it is still dramatic how big a turnaround this team how shown in one year.

At the end of last season, the Timberwolves were one of the most disappointing teams of the year. 31 wins after almost everyone expected them to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The team seemed incapable of holding a lead, blowing double-digit leads numerous times throughout the year.

With a starting lineup of Ricky Rubio,  Zach LaVine, Wiggins, Dieng, and Towns last season, it looked nothing like the current squad. A projected starting lineup of Teague, Butler, Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng/ Taj Gibson, and Towns looks a lot better on paper and it is all thanks to a draft night trade.

Next: Andrew Wiggins: The good, the bad and the ugly

Whether Irving is traded here or not, the combination of young talent with experienced veterans will make this team exciting on and off the court for some time to come.