Last season did not go as the Minnesota Timberwolves had hoped. After last offseason was filled with fireworks and a historic investment in the center position, the Wolves expected to take a major step up in the Western Conference and push the best teams while Rudy Gobert was still in his prime.
Instead, a mix of injuries and ill-fitting pieces led to more of a flat-lining from this group. A season after finishing with 46 wins and landing the seventh seed, the Wolves tallied just 42 wins and were the eighth seed. That’s not the direction the Wolves wanted to go in.
How did the Timberwolves’ summer go?
That put increased pressure on this offseason. Minnesota had to find a way to improve the team while possessing very few assets to use in doing so. The Rudy Gobert trade sapped them of their draft capital, and the only young players of value were the players the Wolves wanted to build around.
How did the Timberwolves do this summer? Let’s go through each move and grade them on how successful it was, just like they were in school. They’ll get an “A” for excellent moves, a “B” for moves worth doing, a “C” for questionable moves, and down the slope from there. Let’s start with the move that was both a no-brainer and the reason they have hope for a brighter tomorrow.