Neither Leonard Miller nor Josh Minott played much during their time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. To be more specific, Miller earned just 179 minutes in three and a half years while Minott earned a total of 463 minutes in three years.
As such, when the Timberwolves traded Miller as part of a deal to land Ayo Dosunmu and when they declined Minott's team option last summer, not much was made of these moves.
Miller and Minott were buried on a Timberwolves team that was loaded with forward depth. Since leaving Minnesota, though, both players have flashed their upside, and the Wolves' entire roster construction has changed. Before, there was no path toward either player earning minutes, due to how loaded their forward room was.
Now, with both Naz Reid and Julius Randle traded, they sorely need a forward. Simply having one of Miller and Minott would be helpful.
The Timberwolves could really use Leonard Miller and/or Josh Minott right now
To be clear, the Timberwolves shouldn't be losing sleep over their decisions to part ways with Miller and Minott.
Trading for Ayo was a stellar move, and Minott even requested that his team option be declined. These were simple moves when they happened. However, it's ironic that two end-of-bench players whom the Wolves quietly parted ways with in the past 13 months could be super valuable to the current team.
Miller and Minott are super similar players. Both are long and athletic forwards who can play disruptive defense, crash the glass, and offer some play-finishing on offense. Minott was the 45th pick in 2022, and Miller was the 33rd pick in 2023.
As established, both players were buried on the Wolves bench before showcasing their potential with their new squads. Miller averaged 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 stocks with the Chicago Bulls after the trade deadline. Minott averaged 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 stocks with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets.
Look, it's still unclear whether these players can be contributors on championship teams. It's worth noting that Minott was salary-dumped to the Nets after falling out of the Celtics' rotation.
Still, right now the Timberwolves' lone forwards are Jaden McDaniels and Trey Lyles. As such, if the Timberwolves hypothetically had held onto either Miller and/or Minott, they would have played meaningful minutes with the squad this year. Between their versatile defense, solid 3-point shooting, and athletic gifts, both players could solve a lot of the Timberwolves' current problems.
Again, moving on from Miller and Minott isn't some catastrophic mistake, by any means. Regardless, after the Timberwolves' roster shake-up, they could really use someone like Leonard Miller or Josh Minott right about now.
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