The Minnesota Timberwolves' inaugural season was in 1989-90. Throughout their first 36 NBA seasons, they have rostered well-known players. A few played for Minnesota for a long while, particularly Kevin Garnett, while others stayed for just a cup of coffee.
Here is a starting lineup of players who spent just one season with the Timberwolves. This isn’t about how they performed with the Wolves, but how their overall career went. Ten reserves will also be mentioned, making it a 15-man roster.
Even if the player appeared in just one game for Minnesota, they were eligible to be included. Active players still on the roster who have played just one season are not eligible.
PG - Rod Strickland
A 17-year veteran, Strickland led the league in assists and was named to the All-NBA second team in 1997-98 with the Wizards. His 7,987 career assists are the 14th-most in NBA history, and his 1,616 steals place him 34th all-time.
Strickland’s third-to-last season came with Minnesota in 2002-03. He played 20.3 minutes per contest as the backup point guard to Troy Hudson.
Reserves: Andre Miller, Jamal Crawford
SG - Brandon Roy
Roy is one of the biggest what-if stories because he was on his way to a potential Hall of Fame career. Unfortunately, persistent knee problems caused him to retire at just 26. In five years with the Trail Blazers, he made three All-Star games, was named to two All-NBA teams, and was the 2006-07 Rookie of the Year.
Roy attempted a comeback in 2012-13 with Minnesota, but it was cut short after the first five outings.
Reserves: Mike Miller, Kendall Gill
SF - Andrei Kirilenko
Known as AK-47, Kirilenko was one of the more versatile players in the 2000s with the Jazz. He led the league in blocks in 2004-05 and made three All-Defensive teams.
After a year playing overseas, Kirilenko joined the Timberwolves in 2012-13. He started all 64 of his appearances, averaging 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Reserves: Luol Deng, Tayshaun Prince, Josh Howard
PF - Antoine Walker
A back-to-back All-Star in 2001-02 and 2002-03, Walker’s most productive seasons came with the Celtics. With them, he averaged more than 20 points in five different seasons and recorded 13 triple-doubles. He was the starting power forward for the Heat in the playoffs in 2006 during their championship run.
Walker’s final season came in 2007-08 with the Wolves. Unfortunately, it didn’t go all that well, as he was seeking a buyout that never came. Instead, he didn’t appear in a game for the final two months.
Reserves: Thaddeus Young, Greg Monroe
C - Brad Miller
A two-time All-Star, Miller did much of his best work as a member of the Kings. His game was similar to current Kings center Domantas Sabonis (although probably not quite at that level), as he often served as the fulcrum of the offense.
His last season in the NBA came in 2011-12 with the Wolves. Miller would appear in just 15 games for them.
Reserve: Theo Ratliff