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.
1. Anthony Edwards Extension
Signed Anthony Edwards to a maximum rookie extension
Three No. 1 picks have made their way through the Minnesota Timberwolves in recent years. Karl-Anthony Towns is an offensive powerhouse but a fringe All-Star; Andrew Wiggins struggled to put his gifts together and seems better cast as an elite role player than a star player. Anthony Edwards, though, has true superstar potential.
After a rookie season so inefficient it cast doubt on his ability to score for a good team, Edwards has improved each and every season. Last season he averaged 24.6 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, improving as a shooter and confidently taking the mantle of No. 1 scorer. Defensively he needs to apply himself consistently, but when he’s locked in he is a difference-maker on that end. He’s much more Paul George than Monta Ellis when it comes to his two-way impact.
After a summer as Team USA’s best player, Edwards should only continue to improve. Is his ceiling Top-15 player in the league, a Donovan Mitchell type of scoring wing? Or can he break through even that to start competing for MVPs? Those are the kinds of questions the Wolves get to ask and dream about.
That makes it a slam-dunk move to lock him up for the next five years after this one, and even more of a win that there is no player option on the deal. If Edwards makes an All-NBA team this season the cost will increase, but even then he’ll likely be a bargain if he has taken that sort of leap.
Grade: A
2. Drafted Leonard Miller
Traded two second-round picks for No. 33 pick, drafted G League Ignite forward Leonard Miller
Minnesota’s first-round pick was in the hands of the Utah Jazz, and they used it to draft Baylor guard Keyonte George. The Wolves didn’t want to be left out of the draft entirely, however, so they traded up to the 33rd pick to take G League Ignite forward Leonard Miller.
Miller had a very interesting path to the NBA Draft, almost entering the draft last summer as a raw recruit with limited exposure to top teams. Miller instead elected to wait a year and join the G League Ignite, where he proved himself one of the most gifted and efficient interior scorers in the league.
On a team with Scoot Henderson, he was second on the team in scoring with 18 points per game, and his 11 rebounds per game were fifth in the entire league. He is an elite finisher, with a touch from all angles that suggests he can increase his shooting range as well. Given that last year was his first high-level basketball of any kind, his upside to gaining polish on both offense and defense seems immense.
Miller was a lottery pick on some draft analysts’ big boards and seemed a sure first-round pick heading into Draft Night. For the Wolves to get him at pick No. 33 is a steal and gives them a raw but incredibly talented forward to develop.
Grade: A
3. Re-signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Re-signed free-agent wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker to to 2-year, $9 million contract
The Portland Trail Blazers made a trade during the 2021-22 season to clear cap space, space they used to sign Jerami Grant. That deal landed CJ McCollum in New Orleans and brought Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Blazers. Instead of keeping “NAW” around, Portland turned around and dumped him on the Utah Jazz.
That’s how Alexander-Walker, cousin to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and recent first-round pick, found himself on the Utah Jazz and thus able to be included in the massive three-team deal that brought Mike Conley to Minnesota — along with Alexander-Walker.
The former Virginia Tech standout (and current Team Canada starter) may have seemed like a throw-in for three consecutive trades, but he hit the ground running in Minnesota as a defensive stopper in the backcourt and energy player on both ends of the court. He averaged 29.6 minutes per game for the Wolves in the playoffs, often a part of closing lineups.
Another team should have been willing to bid up Alexander-Walker’s salary for next season, but instead, the Timberwolves were able to bring him back on a two-year, $9 million deal. If Alexander-Walker continues as a bench wing he’ll be well worth that contract, and it’s so inexpensive that there is very little downside risk for Minnesota.
Grade: A-
4. Re-signed Naz Reid
Agreed to a 3-year, $42 million contract with center Naz Reid ahead of free agency
The Minnesota Timberwolves faced a dilemma this summer. Their best free agent was Naz Reid, who just turned 24 years old and had something of a breakout season for the Timberwolves this past season. When pressed into action when Karl-Anthony Towns was on the shelf, Reid responded with an improved offensive bag and solid defense, something of an average of Towns and Rudy Gobert.
Letting Reid walk in free agency would be painful, but this was a team that had already invested $77 million in the center position for this upcoming season, not to mention beyond that. Could they afford to pay Reid as a third center? Could they afford not to?
That question hasn’t necessarily been answered, but rather than lose Reid for nothing they worked out a new contract extension just prior to free agency that will pay him mid-level money for the next three seasons. That’s a good value for Reid in a vacuum; it will look even better if they trade either Reid or Towns for value in the next year.
For now, it’s a lot of money to pay for one position, but they will try to find a way to play all three centers as much as possible until a trade happens to alleviate the pressure. Minnesota maintained the asset, and hopefully, their next step makes it look like an even better deal.
Grade: B
5. Signed Shake Milton
Signed former Philadelphia 76ers guard Shake Milton to a 2-year, $10 million contract
The Philadelphia 76ers were caught in limbo at the start of free agency, with James Harden opting into his contract and demanding a trade just as the market opened, essentially freezing the Sixers as they worked through their options. That allowed other teams to pounce and sign away Philadelphia’s free agents.
The Wolves were one of the beneficiaries, signing Shake Milton to a two-year, $10 million contract. He has some on-ball juice and is a career 36.5 percent shooter from deep; he won’t set any records in Minnesota, but he is a perfectly reasonable backup guard and is being paid so little that it is okay if he isn’t in the rotation every night. Between Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Shake Milton, the Wolves are paying less than $10 million per year for bench depth that they will use frequently.
Grade: B-
6. Signed Troy Brown Jr.
Waived Taurean Prince, and replaced him by signing Troy Brown Jr. to a 2-year, $8 million contract
The Timberwolves made the decision not to retain Taurean Prince for next season, waiving him before his $7.45 million deal was guaranteed. Prince signed a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Wolves signed former Lakers forward Troy Brown Jr., a pair of moves that sort of worked as a “trade” of defensive-minded forwards.
Brown had a solid season for the Lakers last year, but his offensive limitations have held him back since he went 15th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. If last season’s 38.1 percent 3-point shooting is real, he’ll be a solid contributor next season. If he settles back to the 35.4 percent mark he has shot for his career, his lack of other offensive skills will likely push him behind other players in the rotation.
Grade: C+
Full offseason report card and grade
The Timberwolves did not make any major moves this summer, and in contrast to the 2022 offseason, they were quiet as field mice this year. What Minnesota fans are hoping is that it was more like the silence of a wolf stalking its prey and that they will pounce up the standings this year.
Extended Anthony Edwards
Grade: A
Drafted Leonard Miller
Grade: A
Re-signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Grade: A-
Re-signed Naz Reid
Grade: B
Signed Shake Milton
Grade: B-
Choosing Troy Brown over Taurean Prince
Grade: C+
Overall Grade
The Anthony Edwards extension was their best move, not simply because of how good he is but because they negotiated a full five-year contract with no player option. They used limited resources to build out a highly functional NBA bench, and keeping Naz Reid looks like a good move that could get better with time. The crown jewel was drafting Leonard Miller, and it’s not out of the question that a core of Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Miller are winning playoff games for the Wolves in five years.
For this year, however, this offseason didn’t seem to move the needle. Their team will be roughly similar on the court next season, putting pressure on the incumbent talent to better gel together and take a step forward. If they do, the role players kept around or brought in will get their chance to prove their value. If not, the failure of this season won’t have anything to do with this summer, but rather the last one.
Grade: B+
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