Selected with the 33rd pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Leonard Miller never received regular playing time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. For a team that reached the conference finals during his two full seasons with the club, Chris Finch's decision to not play him wasn’t necessarily a bad one.
The 6-foot-10 forward was an obvious change-of-scenery candidate. In February, Miller was part of the trade with the Chicago Bulls that brought Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota.
Miller received much more playing time after joining Chicago. It should be another season of regularly being in the rotation, and Miller is off to a great start in the preseason.
Leonard Miller is excelling in the preseason
Sunday night was the Bulls’ third preseason outing of the year. In about 22 minutes of action, Miller was incredible. The 22-year-old finished with 26 points in a wildly efficient night—11-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. He also grabbed seven rebounds.
In the previous game, Miller had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. In the Bulls’ first preseason tilt, Miller shot 5-of-7 from the field in 14 minutes.
Miller won’t be in Chicago’s starting lineup when the team is at full strength, with Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Nic Claxton making up the starting frontcourt. Still, he and Jalen Smith should be the first two frontcourt players off the bench.
He has looked more comfortable since joining the Bulls in February. That’s understandable, because Miller never knew when he would play in Minnesota. His time on the floor while with the Timberwolves mostly came when the game was no longer in question. Notably, Miller averaged 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists after the trade deadline.
While probably a long shot, there’s a world where Miller could be in the running for Most Improved Player this year.
Latest to receive more playing time after leaving the Timberwolves
Miller isn’t the only recent example of someone who got more playing time after leaving the Timberwolves. Josh Minott and Luka Garza are two other examples.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the most notable, as he won Most Improved Player last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He played a lot with Minnesota but truly leveled up with Atlanta.
Letting Alexander-Walker leave may have been a mistake—the team let him walk while re-signing Julius Randle and Naz Reid in the 2025 offseason—but Minott, Garza, and Miller would always have struggled for minutes with the Wolves. Some may say that they should have played more, but the Timberwolves are also in the midst of their most successful era.
Fans can still be happy that Miller landed somewhere he can further showcase his abilities. He has a better chance of developing in Chicago than he did with the Wolves.
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