NBA Draft: Red Hot Timberwolves topics for next 24 hours
By Bret Stuter
III: Timberwolves will add a pick to their arsenal
Of the ten NBA Drafts orchestrated by Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, he had managed a draft day trade on at least seven occasions. For a guy with a smile and a steady demeanor, that is quite a riverboat gambler’s history.
If you look back to the 2022 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves were active in a host of trades that had the team moving both down and up in the draft order. In fact, the Timberwolves had so many draft picks to work with, that the team traded out of several picks in Round 2 for future picks.
This year, the Timberwolves will reverse last year, and become a buyer of draft pick(s). The question is . . . why? The answer is both simple and complex. For the simple response, it comes down to the fact that the chances of success at finding a true contributor for the team in the future increase by increasing the number of picks in the draft. So, more picks equal a better chance of finding solid NBA players.
Give the archer his arrows, and let him take his shot
But the more complex response has a bit more subtlety to it. We know that Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly has a tremendous reputation for finding solid players in the NBA Draft. But that talent is neutralized unless he has picks to work with. To get the full effect of Connelly in this, or any, NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves must have the picks already in their possession to use.
Will it make an impact? If the Timberwolves add two rookies to the roster in this draft, that all but ensures that, unless they have a trade in the works, the team is set for the 2023-24 NBA season. How significant for the Timberwolves is that? Keep in mind that at this time one year ago, the Timberwolves had not yet blown up the roster. This year, the Timberwolves’ roster appears to be one of the safer rosters in terms of continuity.