On Thursday, the Timberwolves are on the road to take on the Bulls. It is Minnesota’s penultimate preseason outing with its finale taking place on Friday in an away game against the 76ers. The Wolves' regular season tips off on October 22 when they take on the Trail Blazers in Portland. In their preseason game against Chicago, though, it will be a matchup between the Miller brothers, Leonard and Emanuel.
Miller brothers meet up in preseason affair
Emanuel is about 3.5 years older than Leonard, as he turned 25 years old on June 19. Both are mostly utilized as forwards, although Leonard is listed at 6-foot-10, three inches taller than the listed height of Emanuel.
Emanuel went undrafted in 2024 out of TCU. He signed with the Bulls in late December of last year on a two-way contract. Spending much of the season in the G League, Emanuel made his debut with Chicago on March 4 and played in six games for them (scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds). In the offseason, Emanuel rejoined the Bulls on another two-way deal.
His younger brother Leonard was taken in the draft. Selected 33rd overall in 2023, Leonard has barely been seen on the court over his first two years with the Timberwolves. He has appeared in just 30 games thus far for a total of 84 minutes. It’s a pivotal third year for the soon-to-be 22-year-old as he has a player option for the 2025-26 season.
Will both Miller brothers be on the court at the same time Thursday night?
At the end of September, Leonard suffered a finger laceration on his right hand. It was feared that the injury might force him out for the entire preseason, but he returned for their previous game on October 13. In that contest, he finished with a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds), albeit against lesser competition versus the Guangzhou Loong-Lions.
Emanuel has not seen much time for Chicago in the preseason. He has appeared in three of their four games but has only totaled 16 minutes. In that time, he has scored five points and grabbed two rebounds.
Hopefully, the two brothers can share the court for at least a brief amount of time Thursday night. The Bulls and Timberwolves also meet up twice in the regular season, but neither Miller brother is anticipated to be a regular part of the rotation barring injuries.