Minnesota Timberwolves fans should mark these important NBA dates
By Bret Stuter
The Minnesota Timberwolves are stuck in NBA Limbo right now. One step forward, one step backward. The team is 13-13 right now, a perplexing idle from a team that many Minnesota Timberwolves fans hoped might be further ahead than this by this point in the season.
26 games down in the record books, 56 games remaining. When will the Minnesota Timberwolves begin their run? One year ago, the Timberwolves had fallen to 16-20 before the team roared to life after New Year’s Day. The Minnesota Timberwolves would finish the season with a 30-16 run that would propel the team into post-season contention. But this is an anxious Timberwolves fan base right now.
The infrequent flashes of the team making progress and assembling the pieces into a cohesive set of rotations is just not sufficient that this team has been sold some magic beans of All-Star center Rudy Gobert, at the cost of the family dairy cow of multiple first-round picks and five productive and promising NBA players.
Timberwolves calendar: Important Dates
The Minnesota Timberwolves are about to turn the corner from 2022 to 2023. While that is just a natural cycle of pinning a new calendar to the refrigerator, it does reset a number of key NBA dates that fans should make note of.
Jan. 5: NBA 10-day contracts can be signed
Jan. 10: Standard NBA contracts are guaranteed for the season
Feb. 9: NBA trade deadline (3 p.m. EST)
Feb. 17-19: NBA All-Star Weekend (Played at Salt Lake City, Utah)
Feb. 17-22: NBA All-Star break
March 1: Playoff eligibility waiver deadline
April 9: NBA regular season ends
April 11-14: NBA play-in tournament
April 15: NBA playoffs begin
April 23: NBA early entry eligibility deadline (11:59 p.m. EST)
May 16: NBA draft lottery
June 1: NBA Finals begin
June 12: NBA draft early entry withdrawal deadline (5 p.m. EST)
June 18: NBA Finals Game 7 (if necessary)
June 22: 2023 NBA draft
Timberwolves active NBA traders in 2023?
It may seem premature to be discussing dates that include the 2023 NBA Draft already, but time has a way of speeding by when you least expect it. The Timberwolves season is nearly 33 percent spent already, and the pace will only speed up as the team becomes more successful.
But some key dates are just around the corner for these Timberwolves. The Timberwolves can listen to trade offers for four players on December 15th. And they may be picking up the phones and placing some trade inquiries on their own with these three NBA teams.
The Timberwolves could be one of the NBA teams that remains active with their roster, as the team could parlay 10-day contracts to debut players who may be considered for more significant roster roles in the future. Stay tuned. The Timberwolves may be stuck in limbo for the time being, but one way or another, things will heat up pretty quickly.