Projecting the Timberwolves' Summer League depth chart

The Minnesota Timberwolves begin summer league play today, at 4:00 p.m. CT against the New Orleans Pelicans. Following Minnesota's first game, they're guaranteed three more. The Wolves will also play the Indiana Pacers; the the Philadelphia 76ers; and the Houston Rockets.

After each squad competes in four games, the top four teams will compete for the Summer League Championship. The two semifinal games will be played on July 21, with the championship game set for July 22.

Timberwolves' assistant Chris Hines will step into the head coaching role in the offseason. Hines will lead a promising squad, headlined by 2024 first-rounders Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., and previous Minnesota draft picks, Leonard Miller, Jaylen Clark, and Josh Minott. The rest of the roster in detail can be found here.

With an intriguing mix of rookies and young veterans, the Wolves should enjoy more success in this summer's exhibition games than last year's. Minnesota won only one of five contests a season ago. The returnees from last summer's roster are Miller, Minott, Javonte Cooke, and Kok Yat.

Taking into consideration the Timberwolves' influx of young talent, we've projected the summer league team's depth chart below. Although several players aren't true to the position they've been listed at, they'd likely get playing time at a certain position to maximize the team's cohesion.

Projecting the Timberwolves' Summer League depth chart

Point Guard: Rob Dillingham, Daishen Nix, James Bishop IV, Nadir Hifi

Dillingham and two-way contract signee Daishen Nix headline the lead guard group. Dillingham is also likely to back up Conley on next season's roster, while Nix will play on both the active roster and the Iowa Wolves.

Aside from the aforementioned guards, James Bishop IV and Nadir Hifi are set to make their summer league debuts. Bishop IV played four seasons collegiately at George Washington, scoring 2103 points as a collegian. Hifi recently suited up for Paris Basketball before coming stateside.

Shooting Guard: Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, Gabe Kalscheur

Like the floor generals, the off-guards project to be high-level contributors. Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark may both get starting nods. Both players bring entirely different skill sets. Shannon Jr. is a high-volume scorer and Clark is an elite defensive talent. Former Iowa State Cyclone Gabe Kalscheur rounds out the group. Kalscheur spent last season suiting up for the Wolves' G-League affiliate.

Small Forward: Josh Minott, Joe Wisekamp, Javonte Cooke

One of the potential scoring leaders, Josh Minott is entering his third professional season. Minott has appeared in 47 games for the Timberwolves and holds averages of 2.0 points in 4.0 minutes per game. Joe Wisekamp was selected a year before Minott and has played in 38 games across two organizations. Finally, Cooke played for the Wolves summer league and G-League team a season ago.

Power Forward: Leonard Miller, Tyler Wahl, Nojel Eastern, Kok Yat

Combo forward galore! Each one of the Timberwolves' suggested power forwards has small forward attributes. Miller is one of Minnesota's potential scoring and rebounding leaders entering his second professional season. Tyler Wahl, a Minnesota native, is a 6-foot-9 forward who excels on the glass.

Nojel Eastern, an Iowa Wolves' draftee, profiles more so as a small forward but doesn't stretch the floor and prefers to attack the rim. Lastly, Yat has suited up for the franchise for over a year and will bring elite athleticism to an already athletic Minnesota summer league squad.

Center: Jesse Edwards, Jaedon LeDee

The lone true center on the roster is two-way player Jesse Edwards. The former Mountaineer is a seven-footer who's skilled in the low post. Jaedon LeDee is an undersized five but should receive some minutes at the pivot spot. The former San Diego State star broke out as a fifth-year senior, averaging 21.4 points per game.