The Minnesota Timberwolves may not have won an NBA championship in 2024, but they still went home on May 30 after their Game 5 defeat with plenty to take heart in. They proved many of their doubters wrong by becoming a contender while starting multiple big men, forming the best defensive team in the NBA and finishing with their second-most regular season wins in franchise history.
There is still plenty for Wolves fans to be excited about looking ahead to next season and beyond. The otherworldly talent of Anthony Edwards only continues to shine brighter, and now Minnesota will have one deep playoff run under their belts as they look to pursue the NBA mountaintop.
Another positive from this past season is the fact that we now have an even greater sample size to evaluate the big-picture performance of each player on the roster. Several players cemented themselves as unquestioned rotation players and important pieces going forward, while others took a step back and may be more expendable.
Untouchable: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
One player who absolutely showed themselves to be a crucial part to the Wolves' puzzle in the long run is Nickeil Alexander-Walker. This may very well have been the most unexpected name to end up on this side of the list, given that NAW was essentially just the throw-in piece in the Mike Conley trade included to get the deal done.
Now, Alexander-Walker stands out as one of Minnesota's most irreplaceable perimeter players. His stifling defense was on full display in the playoffs, as he hounded opposing point guards and wings alike. Who could forget the viral clips from the conference semifinals where the world saw how he made life miserable for a talent like Jamal Murray?
Alongside Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil has now become one of the Wolves' top difference-makers when it comes to perimeter defense. He also stepped up as a spot-up shooter in 2023-24, knocking down a career-high 45.2% of his corner three-point shots. NAW will undoubtedly be due for a pay increase at the end of next season.
Could be cut loose: Kyle Anderson
Part of the Timberwolves' 2022 free agent class, Kyle Anderson made the move to Minnesota in the same offseason as Rudy Gobert. As such, he was part of the up-and-down first year of the Gobert experiment where it seemed more went wrong than expected. When Karl-Anthony Towns went down with a calf strain in November 2022, all of a sudden it was Anderson that would step up and take the starting power forward spot.
He delivered in a big way, putting up career numbers and leading the Wolves in overall three-point percentage. He kept the team afloat for four months in the wake of KAT's absence, and it is unlikely Minnesota makes the playoffs that season without his addition the previous summer. But then after a star-studded first season with the Timberwolves, Kyle struggled mightily to follow that performance up in 2023-24 .
Much of that struggle can be attributed to his April 2023 eye injury, and how Slo-Mo took a long time to get back to the point where his eyesight was effective. All things considered, that should give him a bit of a pass for such an unusually down season. Even so, the Timberwolves had one of their best seasons ever without him at full strength, so they could be open to parting ways with Anderson.
Untouchable: Rudy Gobert
When the Timberwolves made their blockbuster trade for Rudy Gobert back in the first week of July in 2022, it was a total shock to the basketball world. No one seemed quite sure where the elite rim protector would end up, but not many would have guessed Minnesota. When he officially teamed up with Karl-Anthony Towns in the Wolves' frontcourt, there was plenty of doubt to go around.
Many were panning the Timberwolves' trade and calling the pairing of KAT and Gobert illogical. Some were even so bold to declare it the worst trade in NBA history, and Rudy's struggles to begin the 2022-23 season did not help to ward off these crazy claims. Add in the fact that the rookie that he was traded for, Walker Kessler, was having an excellent debut campaign, and it was a nightmare scenario for Wolves fans.
But staying true to their process, Minnesota's front office trusted in Gobert and sure enough, he returned to form in his second year in the Twin Cities, taking home an all-time record-tying fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. Rudy anchored the Timberwolves' defense all season long and helped transform them into the best defense in basketball. He is clearly an immovable piece from here on out.
Could be cut loose: Monte Morris
Of course, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly made a significant improvement to the Timberwolves' frontcourt by adding Gobert, but he has also upgraded their backcourt in a big way as well, particularly at the point guard position. Heading into the 2022-23 season, D'Angelo Russell was still acting as the team's starting floor general, and he was in the final year of his contract.
Minnesota was going to have to be diligent to ensure D'Lo did not walk for nothing. So when they ended up trading for Mike Conley at the 2023 trade deadline, it was a dream come true. Russell was shipped out, and the Wolves got a much more experienced and mature point guard to lead the way in his place. There was, however, still the issue of Conley being a bit up there in age. A backup of some sort was needed.
Enter Monte Morris, who Minnesota picked up via a trade from the Pistons just a few months ago at the 2024 deadline. A veteran who has played on multiple playoff teams in the past, Monte provided some solid minutes in short spurts. But as the Timberwolves look to level up this summer, they will likely be able to get more of a needle-mover than Morris for a backup point guard next season.
Untouchable: Naz Reid
The story of Naz Reid will always be a fascinating one. After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, Naz signed a two-way deal with Minnesota, which was quickly converted into a full-time, multi-year standard contract. At the time, he was not expected to be a big contributor or play heavy minutes in the Wolves' rotation. Sure enough, he played just over 15 minutes per night his rookie year, as the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.
But as time moved on, Reid proved his importance by bringing energy, athleticism and sharp shooting every time he came off the bench in the coming years. His fun play style and exciting upside made him a fan favorite at Target Center in no time, with fans even turning his name into a meme by posting simply "Naz Reid" across social media spaces.
Fast forward to the summer of 2023, and the Timberwolves found themselves at a crossroads. They wanted to re-sign Naz, but it was not a certainty one of the most beloved Wolves would remain in town. When he did officially agree to a new three-year extension, all of Minnesota rejoiced. Reid followed this up by putting together a Sixth Man of the Year season in 2023-24, further solidifying that he is as untouchable as you can get on this roster.