The Minnesota Timberwolves have plenty of players with something to prove this season, and that includes Terrence Shannon Jr. The 27th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Shannon has been building himself up at the NBA level, averaging 5.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists over his first two seasons. But his performance in last year’s playoffs inspired some optimism that he could crack Minnesota’s rotation in Year 3.
Unfortunately, his preseason has brought more questions about his role. In four preseason games, Shannon is averaging a respectable 8.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 17.8 minutes per game. He’s also shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 62.5 percent on 3-pointers. But despite the positives, the Wolves may not have a spot for him, and it's worth noting he's struggled to play alongside Minnesota's starters.
This may have been confirmed by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, who spoke about the Timberwolves’ bench rotation coming into the season. While he admitted that Shannon will be in the mix to begin the year, he also pointed out that Bones Hyland is forcing his way into the equation and his battle for minutes could eventually push Shannon out playing time.
“So far, the idea has been it’s Ayo is the sixth man, Shannon and Beringer are the [seventh and eighth] man and Bones might be [ninth or tenth]. But I will say, I really think [Hyland] has really helped himself this preseason.” Krawczynski said during the latest episode of The Jon Krawczynski Show. “He looks bigger. He looks like he’s a little more filled out in his shoulder and he’s playing with a little more physicality. He’s trying to be active defensively. He’s shooting the ball great.
“...He has a totally different physical profile than Shannon, but he has more polish to the way that his offensive game flows with the ball in his hands. So just how they sort of make those decisions and what the determining factor for who plays more, is going to be interesting to kind of see [head coach Chris Finch] work the calculus on that. I think that’s still up for grabs, but to Bones’s credit, he is really making a hard case for himself right now.”
Terrence Shannon Jr.'s potential new role got scrapped during the Timberwolves’ offseason
Krawczynski’s assessment of Hyland isn’t a direct indictment of Shannon, but it shows how little room for error he has this season. A third-year player out of Illinois, Shannon has only averaged 11.7 minutes per game over his first two seasons, and while that also had to do with injuries, the Wolves have never found a suitable role for him in the rotation.
There appeared to be a breakthrough last offseason when Shannon operated with the ball in his hands more. Leaned on heavily after Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles tendon, Shannon averaged 22.6 minutes, 11.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, and it went so well that Finch admitted he made a mistake by casting him as a catch-and-shoot player who operated without the ball in his hands for most of last season.
“We saw what TJ can do. It was good to see him back. We finally found the best deployment of him,” Finch said during an appearance on KFAN last June. “He’s one of these guys who needs the ball in his hands more. I think he can play well alongside Anthony as the primary handler. …I think that’s part of the solution there, internally. He’s just gotta stay healthy and continue to build on what he did.”
While that looked good on paper and even raised the possibility of Shannon playing point guard at times this season, that blueprint was dashed when the Timberwolves traded for LaMelo Ball a few weeks later. The addition of Jonathan Kuminga brought another player who thrives with the ball in his hands in Minnesota, and it brought the “too many mouths to feed” narrative into the preseason.
Many Wolves have adapted to the new normal, but Shannon has not been that player. While his preseason stats are encouraging, they’re also carried by a big preseason performance where he logged 19 points, six rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes against the Miami Heat on Oct. 10 when Minnesota's starters didn't play. Since then, he missed the Knicks contest with an undisclosed injury and had just five points, a rebound and an assist and one steal during Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Shannon could find himself on the Timberwolves' trade block
With all of this in mind, it’s fair to wonder where Shannon fits in on this team. Hyland hasn’t lit it up during the preseason, but he’s played well with 8.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 40.6 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent on 3-pointers.
DiVincenzo's likely return could be another wild card that could squeeze Shannon for playing time. While DiVincenzo was expected to miss most of the regular season after injuring himself in the first round of the playoffs, his immediate surgery and aggressive rehab schedule should have him return at some point this season and will likely vault him toward the top of the Wolves' rotation.
If Hyland steals some of Shannon’s minutes at the beginning of the year, things will only get worse when DiVincenzo returns. And if that happens, Shannon’s name could wind up in trade rumors, which could be a chance for the Wolves to recoup some of the second-round picks they’ve sent out in trades over the past few years.
This makes a fast start to the season important for Shannon. But it still might not be enough to salvage his time in Minnesota. Either way, Shannon has no time to waste, and it could give him an audition for more playing time, whether it’s with the Timberwolves or another trade this season.
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