Which international players do Minnesota Timberwolves hold the rights to?
By Bret Stuter
Dutch center Henk Norel
7-foot-0 Dutch center Henk Norel has been affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves for over a dozen years, but I would not be setting your sights on seeing him play stateside. He was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009, but has continued to compete in Euroleague play ever since:
Henk Norel, whose NBA draft rights are retained by the Minnesota Timberwolves, has signed with Heroes Den Bosch in the Netherlands. Norel was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 11, 2021
He reportedly retired in 2020 but did play two games for Heroes Den Bosch during the 2020-21 season. That decision to retire came after having five knee surgeries, a grueling price to pay to continue competing in the sport he loves. Since then, he has somewhat fallen off the radar.
Brazilian center Paulao Prestes
6-foot-11 Brazilian center Paulao Prestes was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft. He did compete with the Timberwolve Summer League team in 2012, in which he averaged 5.40 points and 5.8 rebounds per game on 17.9 minutes per game.
With the 45th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft the #Twolves select Paulao Prestes!
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) June 25, 2010
He continued to compete until the end of the 2015-16 season but has since stopped competing. Much like Henk Norel, Paulao Prestes has fallen off the radar.