3. The Foye for Roy draft-day swap
First and foremost, injuries suck. One of the most promising careers of the 2000s was cut short due to a myriad of knee injuries. That player is former first-rounder Brandon Roy. Second, the Wolves were absolutely robbed of a brief yet terrific prime of Roy.
In 2006, the Wolves preferred to draft Villanova star Randy Foye. They had a plan in place to trade sixth-overall Roy for Foye and Houston combo guard Luther Head. Interestingly enough, the Trail Blazers stepped in and selected Foye seventh overall before the Rockets had the chance. The Timberwolves then traded Roy for Foye and cash considerations.
Before the trade is further explored…remember when Minnesota traded a future first-rounder to move up two slots for Marbury? Well, this time around, the Wolves were on the other end of the trade and ended up with "cash considerations" instead of a first-round pick.
While Foye was by no means a bad player, Roy was on another level. The former Washington Husky won Rookie of the Year averaging 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. Foye averaged 10.1 as a first-year player but was not a difference-maker like Roy.
Roy continued his excellent play and made three All-Star appearances in just four seasons. Conversely, Foye spent three seasons in Minnesota before he was traded to the Washington Wizards. The Villanova standout averaged 13.0 points and 3.7 assists as a member of the Wolves. If Roy's career wasn't cut short by injuries, this trade would've easily been the worst in franchise history.