Who is the face of the Timberwolves franchise?

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BLOOMINGTON, MN – JUNE 29: Tom Thibobeau introduces Jimmy Butler of the Minnesota Timberwolves to the public during a press conference at the Mall of America on June 29, 2017 in Bloomington, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With the big additions to the Minnesota Timberwolves roster this off-season, we need to find out who the face of the franchise is moving forward.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in a great situation right now; they are going to be competitive in the Western Conference for the first time in over a decade. The Wolves have a “Big Three” that, it seems like, every team needs to be taken seriously.

But the Timberwolves are only missing one thing: a face of the franchise.

The “face of the franchise” notion is becoming outdated in this age of superteams. Back in the days of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson, free agency was a much different animal. Also, their GMs and owners made sure to put players who worked well with their star on the roster. With those type of transcendent players staying put, it made it much easier to call the Bulls “Michael’s team”.

Now, players have a much easier time moving teams. Free agency dollars are thrown around with no thought. It seems that today’s players have an emphasis on winning, no matter where it may be. Places like Minnesota, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City are destinations. Players don’t seem to care where they live, as long as it gives them the best chance to win.

Of course there are exceptions. Even with Kyrie Irving (for now) and Kevin Love, the Cavaliers are LeBron’s team. Last season, the Thunder were Russell Westbrook’s team. Oklahoma City’s outlook on their franchise is sure to change with the addition of Paul George. Cleveland’s might change next year too with rumors of LeBron leaving for Los Angeles swirling.

As mentioned, the Wolves are in a great spot. They already have two players who could be the face of the franchise in Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns. Andrew Wiggins is a player who could turn out to be better than both when all is said and done, too. Some have even said he reminds them of the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant.

I have never been a part of an NBA locker room, but I can imagine that most of them could care less who the face of the franchise is. For the sake of all of us, let’s take a look at the pecking order, not on the court, but in the fan’s eyes.

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