Perhaps one of the greatest ironies to the Minnesota Timberwolves this season has been the fact that after hiring one of the most successful NBA executives in the past at the NBA Draft in President Tim Connelly, the team then proceeded to trade away four of the next eight NBA Draft first-round picks as part of the package to acquire Rudy Gobert.
Isn’t that like hiring a highly respected maid to clean the castle, then selling it and moving to the much smaller summer cottage?
Well, the Minnesota Timberwolves did not sit this one out. In fact, the team picked up three second-round draft picks before the NBA Trade Deadline. That is three added to seven over the next seven NBA Drafts, which we illustrate below:
Future Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Draft picks
- Year Rd Draft Picks New Additions
2023 1 None
2023 2 NYK 2nd None
2024 1 MIN 1st
2024 2 No 2nd Lesser WAS or MEM 2nd
2025 1 No 1st
2025 2 No 2nd 2nd Utah
2026 1 lesser MIN/UTA
2026 2 lesser MIA/SAS/IND 2nd Utah
2027 1 None
2027 2 None
2028 1 MIN 1st
2028 2 MIN 2nd
2029 1 None
2029 2 MIN 2nd
That means that the Timberwolves’ future draft picks now consist of:
2023 – One second-round pick (NYK)
2024 – One first-round pick (MIN), one second-round pick (least of WAS/MEM)
2025 – One second-round pick (UTA)
2026 – One first-round pick (least of MIN/UTA), Two second-round picks (UTA plus least of MIA/IND/SAS)
2027 – No draft picks
2028 – One first-round (MIN), one second-round (MIN)
2029 – One second-round pick (MIN)
That is a sight better than before, in which the Timbewolves had no picks in either the 2025 or 2027 NBA drafts.
What has happened to the Timberwolves’ picks? Let’s take a quick review:
2023 NBA Draft
Round 1 – Traded allotted pick to Utah Jazz
Round 2 – Traded allotted pick to Memphis Grizzlies
Add New York Knicks 2nd round pick
Incoming:
Minnesota Timberwolves acquire the NY Knicks second-round pick via Charlotte Hornets
Summary: 1 2nd-round pick (NYK)
Trades impacting this draft
Rudy Gobert trade
The picks going to Utah, per sources: unprotected 1sts in 23, 25, 27, a swap in ‘26 and a top 5 protected in ‘29
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) July 1, 2022
2022 NBA Draft Trades
and
2024 NBA Draft
Round 1 – Allotted pick
Round 2 – Traded allotted pick to either Trail Blazers or Thunder
Add lesser of Washington Wizards or Memphis Grizzlies 2nd round pick
Incoming: Minnesota Timberwolves acquire the lesser of two second-round picks via LA Lakers
Summary: 1 1st-round pick (MIN), 1 2nd-round pick (MEM/WAS)
2025 NBA Draft
Round 1 – Traded allotted pick to Utah Jazz
Round 2 – Traded allotted pick to Houston Rockets
Add: Second-round pick from Utah Jazz
Incoming: None
Summary: No picks
2026 NBA Draft
Round 1 – Lesser of allotted pick or Utah Jazz first-round pick
Round 2 – Traded allotted pick to either Pistons or Knicks
Add: Second-round pick from MIA, IND, or SAS PLUS a second-round pick from Utah Jazz
Incoming:
The lesser second-round pick of the Heat, Pacers, or Spurs PLUS the second-round pick of the Jazz
Summary: 1 1st-round pick (lesser of MIN or Utah)
2 2nd-round picks: (lesser of MIA, IND, or SAS) and (UTA)
2027 NBA Draft
Round 1 – Traded allotted pick to Utah Jazz
Round 2 – Traded allotted pick to Houston Rockets
Incoming: None
Summary: No Picks
2028 NBA Draft
Round 1 – Allotted pick
Round 2 – Allotted pick
Incoming: None
Summary: 1 1st-round pick (MIN)
1 2nd-round pick (MIN)
2029 NBA Draft
Round 1 – Traded allotted pick to Utah Jazz (Top-5 Protected)
Round 2 – Allotted pick
Incoming: None
Summary: Chance of 1 1st-round pick (MIN if falls among Top-5)
1 2nd-round pick (MIN)
The changes move the Timberwolves into participation in all future NBA Drafts sans the 2027 NBA Draft, and at the expense of a player who was gone by the end of the season anyway (PG D’Angelo Russell).
We’ve seen what the magic of Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly can do in just one NBA Draft, as his selections have already flashed potential in the NBA, whether for the Timberwolves or for another team. Now, armed with three more darts to toss at the NBA Draft board (pun intended), the Timberwolves hope that he can hit a bullseye once more.