Timberwolves Matteo Spagnolo is a hot name in Euroleague right now

When the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Euroleague point guard Matteo Spagnolo with the 50th overall selection of the 2022 NBA Draft, the plan all along was to draft and stash the young man for at least one year in the Euroleague.  But before he returns to compete overseas once more, he competed on the Minnesota Timberwolves summer league team.

The 19-year-old showed a need for further development, as he averaged 15.5 minutes, 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. But his shooting was a bit underwhelming, scoring on just 30.4 percent of his shots from the floor, just 50 percent of his shots from the free throw line, and just 11.1 percent from the perimeter.  None of them scream “NBA ready” just yet.

But Spagnolo is young, and he is already aware of the work that needs to happen:

So what is in store for the future Timberwolves guard? Well, it’s back to the Euroleague, where a number of teams are interested in his appearance on their roster. Right now, the young man is under contract with Real Madrid through the 2023-24 season (two years).

Spagnolo is young but is expected to continue to develop rapidly as he competes against ever more accomplished Euroleague competition.  Two Italian clubs are lobbying for Spagnolo to be loaned by Real Madrid. Team Reggio Emilia plays in the Basketball Champions League, while Team Trento plays in EuroCup. Two more teams, Team Obradoiro and Team Manresa had also enquired about Spagnolo’s availability. Both teams are located in Spain.

Spagnolo played for Italy’s Team Cremona last year, where he averaged 12 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He even showed some finesse from long range, making 45 percent of his three-point shots as well.

So now it’s a waiting game to see where Spagnolo will play.

The hope is that he lands in the most competitive league possible, but one where he can optimize his skillset and playing time. After all, the young man needs playing time to get better. While the timetable for Spagnolo’s arrival to the Timberwolves is speculative right now, with his current contract situation with Real Madrid in place through 2024, it would be a safe bet that the Timberwolves are targetting the 2024-25 season to onboard the young man.