Terrence Shannon Jr.'s role with the Timberwolves should be crystal clear

Selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Terrence Shannon Jr. was unable to find a permanent role in the Timberwolves' rotation last season. He even spent a brief time in the G League.

Chris Finch has already hinted that he would like to expand his rotation for the 2025-26 season. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker off to the Atlanta Hawks, Shannon Jr. was already in line for a larger role. That was further confirmed with his stellar summer league play.

Shannon provided a scoring punch once thrown into the playoff rotation

While the 6-foot-6 Shannon Jr. sat out the final two summer league outings, he excelled in the first three. In those, he averaged 22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals. He made 10 of his 26 three-point tries and was nearly automatic from the charity stripe (18-19). Shannon was consistently productive as well, finishing with 20, 24, and 24 points in the three contests.

Of course, Wolves fans are familiar with the spark he provided in the postseason. Finch was going with an eight-man rotation in the playoffs with Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Alexander-Walker soaking up the meaningful bench minutes. Entering Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, Shannon Jr. received action in just six of their first 12 postseason games, none for more than seven minutes. 

While Minnesota did lose to the Thunder in five games, Shannon Jr. provided a much-needed scoring spark in those last three outings. He played just 37 total minutes spanning Games 3-5, but he also dropped 35 points.

TSJ will be a key piece off bench for 2025-26 season

The Timberwolves had three key free agents this offseason. They brought back Julius Randle and Naz Reid, while Alexander-Walker signed with Atlanta. Alexander-Walker was undoubtedly an important player, but leadership deemed him the most expendable due to players such as Shannon Jr. (and Rob Dillingham) waiting on the bench.

Without question, Shannon Jr. should become a more permanent fixture in the rotation. Turning 25 years old on July 30, he will be a large part of the group that replaces the 25.3 minutes Alexander-Walker played last season. 

With Mike Conley turning 38 on October 11, his 24.7 minutes per game in 2024-25 could also drop. Shannon Jr. should be expected to receive the third or fourth most minutes off the bench in 2025-26 and could even receive spot starts in games that Anthony Edwards or Jaden McDaniels are forced to miss.