Since the franchise was founded in 1989, plenty of talented players have come through the halls of Target Center and worn the Minnesota Timberwolves uniform. One of the primary reasons the team is now in position to contend for a championship is because of one special talent in particular.
That player, of course, is the man who wears number 5, Anthony Edwards. His jersey is the one you will most commonly see on the backs of fans attending games in the Twin Cities, and it is among the highest-selling jerseys in the NBA.
But as most Wolves fans know, Edwards only recently switched to wearing number 5. Before he donned the number, plenty of other accomplished players wore it in Minnesota in previous years. Here is a brief overview of every player in Timberwolves history to be known as number 5.
Anthony Edwards (2023 - present)
Due to the number 5 already being taken when he entered the league, Ant wore the number 1 for the first three seasons of his career, officially announcing the switch to 5 in August 2023. Now, he is the Timberwolves' biggest hope for an NBA championship.
Kyle Anderson (2022 - 2023)
When he came to Minnesota in the 2022 offseason, Kyle Anderson immediately brought value as a playmaking wing and helped to keep the Wolves in the playoff race while Karl-Anthony Towns was injured.
Malik Beasley (2020 - 2022)
A sharpshooter from beyond the arc, Malik Beasley became a Timberwolf at the 2020 trade deadline and shot nearly 40% from three during his two and a half seasons in Minnesota.
Gorgui Dieng (2013 - 2020)
Playing in nearly 500 games in a Timberwolves uniform, Dieng spent the first six and a half seasons of his professional career in the Twin Cities.
Josh Howard (2012 - 2013)
In his final NBA season, Josh Howard appeared in just 11 games in Minnesota, putting up an average of 6.7 points per night.
Will Conroy (2012)
Conroy bounced around to several international leagues throughout his career, finishing with just 16 games played in the NBA. Four of those contests were with the Timberwolves.
Martell Webster (2010 - 2012)
Traded to the Wolves in 2010, Webster missed around half of both his seasons in Minnesota due to back surgeries. He still started 26 games in 2011-12 and averaged 6.9 points per game.
Craig Smith (2006 - 2009)
The 36th-overall pick by the Timberwolves in 2006, Craig Smith spent his first three professional seasons with the franchise, putting up 10.1 points per game on 56% shooting in 2008-09.
Anthony Goldwire (2004)
Playing for nine different NBA teams in his career, Goldwire appeared in just five games for Minnesota during their famous 2003-04 season where they made their first Western Conference Finals.
William Avery (1999 - 2002)
The 14th-overall pick by the Timberwolves in 1999, William Avery played three seasons in the Twin Cities before taking his talents overseas to Israel, France, Ukraine, Greece, and other international leagues.
Doug West (1989 - 1998)
A second-round pick in Minnesota's first-ever draft, West remained with the franchise for nine seasons and was the last member of the original Timberwolves team by the 1997-98 season.