Turning 22 years old on November 26, the 2025-26 season is set to be a pivotal one for Leonard Miller. After two years of barely seeing the court with the Timberwolves, he needs to show something this season, or else he could even find himself out of the league soon. Unfortunately, a finger injury sustained on Tuesday already puts Miller behind the 8-ball.
Injured finger will sideline Leonard Miller
The Timberwolves announced in a press release on Wednesday that on the previous day, Miller injured his right finger. The 6-foot-10 forward will be re-evaluated in 2 weeks.
Leonard Miller is going to miss a couple of weeks with a finger laceration. https://t.co/8JuQkJ7Fot
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) October 1, 2025
Now, that doesn’t mean Miller will be cleared to play at that time. What seems likely is that he will miss their entire 6-game preseason schedule. Miller really could have used the reps prior to the regular season tipping off, especially since he has shown next to nothing in the NBA through two years.
The Timberwolves did not have a player participating in the summer’s EuroBasket. They did have one that played for Canada in the AmeriCup, though, a tournament that is lesser known and doesn't have quite the level of competition as EuroBasket. That was Miller, who had the opportunity to build momentum and instill more confidence in Chris Finch to play him with a solid run with Canada. That wasn’t the case, though, as it was a somewhat middling performance for Miller during the AmeriCup against competition that is lesser than what is seen nightly in the NBA.
Two years of minimal action with the Timberwolves
Selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Miller has barely stepped on the floor for the Wolves. Through two years, he has played in just 30 games for a total of 84 minutes.
Even with Nickeil Alexander-Walker moving on to the Hawks, a path to the rotation seemed extremely unlikely for Miller heading into training camp. That is doubly true if he can’t participate at all in the preseason. That was a chance for Miller to showcase what he could bring to the table this season.
Another season of Miller frequently playing for the Iowa Wolves of the G League seems fairly likely at this point. Even with a team option at just over $2.4 million for the 2026-27 season, expect Minnesota to decline it if Miller again barely plays. It may be hard for him to find a standard contract with another team if that occurs with so little to show through three years.