9 Players the Minnesota Timberwolves held onto for way too long
By Will Eudy
3. Shabazz Muhammad (2013-2018)
Every Timberwolves fan that was around a decade ago remembers the incredible hype surrounding Shabazz Muhammad. At one point, he was regarded as a prospect that had similar attributes to the legendary Kobe Bryant.
After he played a season at UCLA, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Muhammad with the 14th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. After a slow rookie year, he looked to be rounding into form in his sophomore season. Though he was still limited by injuries, the flashes of potential were exciting.
But unfortunately, Shabazz never saw any significant improvement after his second season. He finally saw a clean slate of health and played all 82 games in 2015-16, but his numbers were pedestrian at best. Muhammad shot below 29% from three for the season.
Even so, the Timberwolves decided to hang on to him until the 2017-18 season. That year, Muhammad averaged just 3.8 points per game and shot 38% from the floor. Leading up the February trade deadline, he made a request to the front office that he be traded or waived from the team.
A month later, he was finally waived, and his NBA career lasted just 11 more games after that. This was a painfully obvious example of a band-aid that the Timberwolves should have ripped off far earlier.