Can Matt Ryan answer these 3 Minnesota Timberwolves prayers?

III – Please give us a talented young NBA prospect

Perhaps the greatest fear for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and certainly for the fans, is the fact that the trade with the Utah Jazz required the Timberwolves to hand over so many first-round draft picks. Just how many picks were involved? Let’s recap:

Carving out just the NBA Draft picks involved, the Utah Jazz will receive:

1. Timberwolves 2023 NBA Draft first-round pick
2. Timberwolves 2025 NBA Draft first-round pick
3. Timberwolves 2027 NBA Draft first-round pick
4. Timberwolves 2029 NBA Draft first-round pick (Top-5 Protected)
5. The right to swap 2026 NBA Draft first-round picks

While that works out to three unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick with minimal protection, and one first-round draft pick swap, it’s all spread over the span of the next six years.

A different way to add young talent is just as effective

Still, that eliminates the infusion of a steady supply of young basketball talent. The Timberwolves must find some other pipeline to ensure that young talent is involved and developing on the Timberwolves roster. Just one young prospect who can develop into a future contributor for the team is the equivalent of a mid to late-first-round rookie prospect.

Consider the impact of wing Wendell Moore Jr., and you have a reasonable template of the type of players who would likely be picked by the Timberwolves in the first round of NBA drafts in the foreseeable future. While not blatantly NBA All-Star material, that constant resupply of talent does give this team a stronger roster. But adding Matt Ryan can be equally effective in restocking the shelf of young and promising talent.