NBA Draft: Red Hot Timberwolves topics for next 24 hours

It’s the day of the 2023 NBA Draft, an occasion of optimism and excitement for all 30 NBA teams. But it’s also a good time to reflect, to take inventory, to face that brutal honesty where you examine the strategy and plans made one year ago, and try to diagnose what went wrong. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s also a good time for renewal, an acceptance that what was is not entirely a matter of control, and a chance to reset expectations.

What is a realistic expectation 2023-24 NBA season for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2023-24 NBA season? Well, that all depends on how the Timberwolves’ roster takes shape, doesn’t it? After all, how can we have any chance of setting realistic expectations if we haven’t a clue what the team will look like this year?

The Timberwolves get great news just in time for the draft

Ah, but there is great news on that front. With the latest updates to the 2023-24 NBA salary cap, the Timberwolves have a path to extend and re-sign everyone without triggering the luxury tax. That is so huge for the team right now, as the numbers have not added up to re-sign backup center Naz Reid, until now.

But extending Reid, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and more is just one aspect of the Timberwolves’ tasks this offseason. The team must also address the need to replenish talent in their pipeline, the constant stream of talented young players who will someday step up into larger roles for this team. Last season, the Timberwolves had SG Wendell Moore Jr. and PF Josh Minott via the draft and added 2-Way contracts for C Luka Garza and PF Matt Ryan.

This year, the Timberwolves hope to have similar success in adding true draft diamonds in the rough. But the key to doing so is to add additional picks in this year’s draft. Do you think the Timberwolves can manage that one? Perhaps. That is just one of the Red Hot Timberwolves topics that we will all be learning about for the next 24 hours. Ready for your checklist? Let’s go . . .