Next season will be Chris Finch’s sixth full year as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. By many measures, he has been the best head coach in team history (although Flip Saunders has a case as well).
Taking over for Flip’s son Ryan Saunders halfway through the 2020-21 season, he overtook a team that had both Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels in their rookie seasons. Both were firmly in the rotation before Finch took over.
In the following five years, Finch has rarely leaned on rookies. That may have to change if the Timberwolves make a big trade this offseason that sees them sacrifice some of their depth.
Team would have to trade multiple pieces for a starÂ
Barring any trades, the Timberwolves will make the 28th and 59th selections in next month’s draft. In what is seen as a deep draft class, there’s a solid chance that Minnesota can find an NBA-ready player with its late first-round pick.
A lot of fans have dreams of pairing a second star with Ant-Man. Whether that’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Kyrie Irving, or someone else, there’s a good chance that Minnesota would need to deal multiple players in order to acquire a star.
That, of course, would cut into their depth. If the team re-signs Ayo Dosunmu, they likely become a first-apron team and won’t be able to be all that active in free agency. Their depth is already compromised with Donte DiVincenzo out for most, if not all, of next season with a torn Achilles.
That could open up a rotation spot for whoever the Timberwolves select with the 28th pick. Players such as Meleek Thomas, Ebuka Okorie, and Isaiah Evans have been mocked in that area, three scoring guards who are more than capable outside shooters.
Rookies since 2021-22 for the Wolves
In Finch’s first full season (2021-22), it’s understandable why the rookies barely played. Leandro Bolmaro, the 23rd overall pick in 2020, played overseas a year before getting into 35 games for Minnesota in 2021-22. Undrafted McKinley Wright IV was on a two-way deal and saw action in just three outings for the NBA club.
The next year, Minnesota rostered Wendell Moore Jr. and Josh Minott, selected 26th and 45th overall respectively in the 2022 NBA Draft. The two combined to appear in 44 games for a total of 249 minutes as rookies under Finch.
In 2023-24, their one rookie was Leonard Miller. The 33rd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft was never able to enter the Wolves’ rotation before being dealt to the Chicago Bulls in the Ayo Dosunmu trade.
The 2024-25 season was the first time since Edwards that the Timberwolves rostered a lottery pick as a rookie. That would be Rob Dillingham, selected eighth overall in 2024 (also Terrence Shannon Jr. was taken 27th). Dillingham played just 10.5 minutes per contest over 49 games, and Shannon Jr. was at 10.6 in 32 outings. Dillingham was also shipped out in the Dosunmu trade.
This season saw Joan Beringer (17th overall pick in 2025) spend some time in the G League with the Iowa Wolves, as game action was sparse for the center behind Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid. His rookie season consisted of 40 appearances for a total of 314 minutes.
Undoubtedly, these past two seasons have put Finch's handling of rookies under the microscope, but developing them is a delicate balance given the Wolves' title aspirations.
We are a long way off from knowing what the Wolves’ roster will look like for the 2026-27 season, but Finch may have to go out of his comfort zone and have a first-year player permanently in the rotation.
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