Timberwolves modest success already lowered 1st payment for Rudy Gobert

If you bother to check the latest NBA draft order for the 2023 NBA Draft, you will find that the Minnesota Timberwolves first-round draft pick, currently owned by the Utah Jazz, is now projected to fall as the 16th overall pick per Tankathon.com (as of June 4, 2023). That is not far from a bonafide lottery pick, but it’s a far cry better than it had been earlier in the season.

At one point, the Timberwolves were flirting with an NBA Lottery pick that would have improved the odds of the Utah Jazz landing a Top-3 draft pick. Now, while the Timberwolves’ 2023 NBA Draft pick remains in the hand of the Utah Jazz, it is scheduled to fall at the 16th overall pick. That is still high enough to land a rookie contributor for the future, but one that will need a bit of skill to optimize.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves have plenty to build on right now, and the fun part is that this team has as many young stars as veteran stars on the roster:

The Timberwolves certainly found ways to involve everyone on the roster last season.

New season, new challenges

So what are the challenges facing the Timberwolves this offseason? Well, the market for Timberwolves backup center Naz Reid appears to be heating up, which leaves the Minnesota Timberwolves three very intriguing choices of how to respond.

The Timberwolves have extensions to ponder for both shooting guard Anthony Edwards and small forward Jaden McDaniels, both of whom are key players for the Timberwolves’ foreseeable future.  Finally, the Timberwolves’ roster is bursting with players who will return in the 2023-24 NBA season with something to prove.

The Minnesota Timberwolves own their first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, as well as the lesser of either the Memphis Grizzlies or Washington Wizards’ second-round draft pick. That means that even as the Timberwolves settle in for an even more competitive season this year, they will have a full complement of NBA draft picks to sort out a year from now.

For now, the Minnesota Timberwolves hold a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, with an opportunity to buy additional picks if the opportunity arises. That alone should add enough excitement for Minnesota Timberwolves fans to stay tuned.