Minnesota Timberwolves
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The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...
. The Timberwolves compete in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 1989, the team is owned by Glen Taylor who also owns the WNBA's
Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Founded p ...
. The Timberwolves play their home games at
Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
, their home since 1990. Like most
expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
s, the Timberwolves struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Kevin Garnett in the 1995 NBA draft, the team qualified for the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
in eight consecutive seasons from
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
to
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
. Despite losing in the first round in their first seven attempts, the Timberwolves won their first division championship in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
and advanced to the Western Conference Finals that same season. Garnett was also named the
NBA Most Valuable Player The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 ...
for that season. The team then went into rebuilding mode for more than a decade after missing the postseason in 2005, and trading Garnett to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in 2007. Garnett returned to the Timberwolves in a February 2015 trade and finished his career there, retiring in the 2016 offseason. The Timberwolves ended a 14-year playoff drought when they returned to the postseason in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
.


Franchise history


1989–1995: Team creation and early years

NBA basketball returned to the
Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in sta ...
in 1989 for the first time since the Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1960) departed to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
in
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
. The NBA had granted one of its four new expansion teams on April 22, 1987 (the others being the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
,
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
, and the Miami Heat) to original owners Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson to begin play beginning in the 1989–90 season. There were two previous
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...
(ABA) franchises that played in between the Lakers' departure and the Timberwolves arrival: the Minnesota Muskies (1967–68), and the Minnesota Pipers (1968–69). The Timberwolves have worn throwback uniforms for each of the previous franchises. The franchise conducted a "name the team" contest and eventually selected two finalists, "Timberwolves" and "Polars", in December 1986. The team then asked the 842 city councils in Minnesota to select the winner and "Timberwolves" prevailed by nearly 2–1. The team was officially named the "Minnesota Timberwolves" on January 23, 1987. Minnesota is home to the largest population of timberwolves in the contiguous 48 states. The Timberwolves debuted on November 3, 1989, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics on the road 106–94. Five days later, they made their home debut at the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League' ...
, losing to the Chicago Bulls 96–84. Two nights later on November 10, the Wolves got their first win, beating the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
at home 125–118. The Timberwolves, led by Tony Campbell with 23.2 ppg, went on to a 22–60 record, finishing in sixth place in the Midwest Division. Playing in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the expansion Timberwolves set an NBA record by drawing over 1 million fans to their home games. This included a crowd of 49,551 on April 17, 1990, which saw the Timberwolves lose to the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
99–88 in the final home game of the season. The next
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
, the team moved into their permanent home, the
Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
, and improved somewhat, finishing 29–53. However, they fired their head coach, Bill Musselman. They fared far worse in the 1991–92 NBA season under Musselman's successor, ex- Celtics coach Jimmy Rodgers, finishing with an NBA-worst 15–67 record. Looking to turn the corner, the Wolves hired former
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
general manager Jack McCloskey to the same position, but even with notable first-round selections such as Christian Laettner and
Isaiah Rider Isaiah Rider Jr., nicknamed J.R. (born March 12, 1971), is an American former professional basketball player who played 9 seasons in the NBA. Rider was born in Oakland, California, and was raised in nearby Alameda. He starred in both baseball an ...
, the Timberwolves were unable to duplicate McCloskey's "Detroit Bad Boys" success in the Twin Cities, finishing 19–63 and 20–62 the next two seasons. One of the few highlights from that era was when the Target Center served as host of the 1994 All-Star Game where Rider won the Slam Dunk Contest with his between-the-leg "East Bay Funk Dunk". As winning basketball continued to elude the Wolves, Ratner and Wolfenson nearly sold the team to New Orleans interests in 1994 before NBA owners rejected the proposed move. Eventually, Glen Taylor bought the team and named Kevin McHale general manager. The Wolves finished 21–61 in 1994–95, and the future looked bleak.


1995–2007: The Kevin Garnett era

In the 1995 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected high school standout Kevin Garnett in the first round (5th overall), and
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High sch ...
was named head coach. Christian Laettner was traded along with
Sean Rooks Sean Lester Rooks (September 9, 1969 – June 7, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1992 to 2004, and was an Assistant for Player Development for the Philadelphia 76ers ...
to the Atlanta Hawks for Andrew Lang and Spud Webb. Also, first-round pick Donyell Marshall was traded the previous season for
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
' forward
Tom Gugliotta Thomas James Gugliotta (born December 19, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player who played thirteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Early life The youngest of seven children, Gugliotta has far Italian ...
. These trades paved the way for rookie Kevin Garnett to become the go-to player inside. Garnett went on to average 10.4 ppg in his rookie season as the Wolves finished in 5th place in the Midwest Division, with a 26–56 record. In 1996, the Wolves added another star player in the draft, trading Ray Allen to the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...
for the rights to Stephon Marbury, the 4th overall pick. The addition of Marbury had a positive effect on the entire team, as Garnett and Gugliotta became the first Wolves to be selected to the All-Star team. Gugliotta and Garnett led the Timberwolves in scoring as the team made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a record of 40–42. However, in the playoffs the Timberwolves made a quick exit as they were swept by the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
in three straight games. The T-Wolves also decided to change their image by changing their team logo and color scheme, adding black to the team colors and replacing the original logo with one featuring a snarling wolf looming over a field of trees. It was also during this season that Minnesota began to play on a parquet floor. In 1997, Garnett and Marbury established themselves as two of the brightest rising stars in the NBA. Garnett averaged 18.5 ppg and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Marbury averaged 17.7 ppg and dished out 8.6 assists per game. Despite losing leading scorer Tom Gugliotta for half the season, the Timberwolves went on to post their first winning season at 45–37, making the playoffs for the second straight season. After dropping Game 1 of the playoffs on the road to the Seattle SuperSonics, the Timberwolves won their first postseason game in Game 2, winning in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
98–93. As the series shifted to Minnesota, the Timberwolves had an opportunity to pull off the upset as they won Game 3 by a score of 98–90. However, the Wolves dropped Game 4 at home as the Sonics went on to win the series in five games. In 1998, a year after signing Kevin Garnett to a six-year, $126 million contract, the Timberwolves were then used as the poster child of irresponsible spending as the NBA endured a four-month lockout that wiped out much of the season. With an already cap-heavy payroll, the Wolves let Tom Gugliotta walk, partially because the team wanted to save money in order to sign Stephon Marbury to a long-term contract, and in part because Gugliotta did not want to play with the young player. This move proved unsuccessful, however, as Stephon Marbury wanted to be the biggest star on a team and subsequently forced an in-season trade by refusing a contract extension. In the three-team mid-season deal that sent Marbury to the New Jersey Nets, the Wolves got Terrell Brandon in return and a first-round draft pick in the 1999 draft (which turned out to be the sixth pick). The Wolves made the playoffs for the third straight season by finishing in fourth place with a 25–25 record. In the playoffs, the Timberwolves were beaten by the eventual champion
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
in four games. In 1999, the Timberwolves drafted
Wally Szczerbiak Walter Robert Szczerbiak Jr. ( ; born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current color analyst for the New York Knicks on MSG Network. He played 10 seasons for four teams in the National Basketball Associat ...
with the sixth pick in the draft. He had a solid season, finishing third on the team in scoring with 11.6 points per game. Led by Kevin Garnett, who averaged 22.9 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game, the Timberwolves had their first 50-win season and finished in 3rd place with a record of 50–32. However, in the playoffs the Wolves again fell in the first round, losing to the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
in four games. The Wolves opened the 1999–2000 regular season with two home games against the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
at the
Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...
on November 6 and 7. In the summer of 2000, guard
Malik Sealy Malik Sealy (February 1, 1970 – May 20, 2000) was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30. Sealy played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) ...
was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. Sealy's number has since been retired: the number 2 jersey memorialized with Sealy's name on a banner hanging from the rafters of Target Center. It remains the only number retired by the team. Also in that season, a free agent deal signed by Joe Smith was voided by the NBA, who ruled that the Timberwolves violated proper procedure in signing the contract. The league stripped the Timberwolves of five draft picks (first round 2001–05), but it was eventually reduced to three first-round picks (2001, 2002, and 2004). The league also fined the Timberwolves $3.5 million and suspended general manager Kevin McHale for one year. Smith eventually signed with the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
before re-signing with the Timberwolves in 2001. Despite those setbacks, the Timberwolves made the playoffs for the fifth straight season with a 47–35 record. In the playoffs, the Timberwolves were eliminated in the first round again by the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
in four games in the spring of 2001. A number of newcomers arrived prior to the start of the next season, including
Gary Trent Gary Dajaun Trent Sr. (born September 22, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. Early life Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Trent played his high school basketball at Hamilton Township High School. In his senior season ...
,
Loren Woods Loren is a given name, nickname and surname which may refer to: Given name Men * Loren Acton (born 1936), American physicist and astronaut * Loren C. Ball (born 1948), amateur astronomer who has discovered more than 100 asteroids * Loren M. Berry ...
and Maurice Evans and the return of Joe Smith. The Timberwolves started the season by winning their first six games and went on to achieve a franchise-best start of 30–10. The Timberwolves had a franchise-record 53-point win over
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
in November. They finished with a 50–32 record: their second-ever 50-win season that was highlighted by another All-Star appearance by Garnett and a breakout season by
Wally Szczerbiak Walter Robert Szczerbiak Jr. ( ; born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current color analyst for the New York Knicks on MSG Network. He played 10 seasons for four teams in the National Basketball Associat ...
, who earned his first All-Star appearance. Once again, Minnesota lost in the first round of the playoffs, where they were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in three straight games. The 2002–03 season seemed to look up for the Timberwolves. Garnett had a great season where he finished second in
MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
voting with 23.0 points per game and 13.4 rebounds per game and the Timberwolves finished in third place with a 51–31 record. As a result, they were awarded home-court advantage for the first time when facing the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. After being blown out at home in Game 1, the Timberwolves had a chance to take a 3–1 series lead heading into the 4th quarter of Game 4 in Los Angeles, but the Lakers came back to win the game and eventually won the series in six games. In the end, the Timberwolves were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the seventh straight year. After Garnett retired, he commented about the thought that the Timberwolves would consider retiring his number, "I'm not entertaining it."


2003–04 season: Western Conference Finals appearance

In 2003, Rob Babcock was promoted to vice-president of player personnel. He and general manager Kevin McHale made a series of strong off-season moves in an attempt to get the team over the hump and beyond the first round of the playoffs. They made two important trades, sending away forward Joe Smith and guard Terrell Brandon in a multi-player deal for
Ervin Johnson Ervin Johnson Jr. (born December 21, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who is a community ambassador for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA for the Seattle SuperSonics, De ...
,
Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall i ...
and embattled guard
Latrell Sprewell Latrell Fontaine Sprewell (born September 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Du ...
. They also signed sharp-shooter
Fred Hoiberg Fredrick Kristian Hoiberg (born October 15, 1972) is an American college basketball coach and former player. He has served as the men's head basketball coach at the University of Nebraska since 2019. Hoiberg grew up in Ames, Iowa, and played coll ...
, and former #1 pick
Michael Olowokandi Michael Olowokandi (born 3 April 1975) is a Nigerian former professional basketball player. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in London, he played collegiately for the Pacific Tigers in Stockton, California. Nicknamed "The Kandi Man," Olowokandi ...
as free agents, with both becoming key contributors during the season. The Timberwolves rounded out their bench by signing veteran role players
Trenton Hassell Trenton Lavar Hassell (born March 4, 1979) is an American former professional basketball forward. A , guard-forward, Hassell was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 30th overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft. Early life and college career Hasse ...
,
Troy Hudson Troy Elderon Hudson (born March 13, 1976) is an American retired professional basketball point guard. He played 11 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after going undrafted in 1997. He averaged a career-high 14.2 points per game w ...
, and Mark Madsen. Despite injuries to a revitalized Olowokandi (who missed half the season) and 6th man
Wally Szczerbiak Walter Robert Szczerbiak Jr. ( ; born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current color analyst for the New York Knicks on MSG Network. He played 10 seasons for four teams in the National Basketball Associat ...
(who only played in 28 games), the revamped Timberwolves became the team to beat during the 2003–04 NBA season, finishing the season as the top seed in the Western Conference with a record of 58–24. Garnett had his best season to date, and both Sprewell and Cassell had career years as well. Garnett and Cassell both made the all-star team, and after the season, Garnett was named 1st Team All NBA, and earned his first MVP award averaging 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. During the 2004 NBA playoffs, the Wolves won their first-ever playoff series against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
, before beating the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
in a hard-fought seven-game series to advance to the franchise's first Western Conference Finals. Kevin Garnett leapt upon the scorer's table upon the winning Game 7 in the Sacramento series, which became one of the more iconic moments in Minnesota sports history. The Timberwolves' run ended in the Western Conference finals as the team lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall i ...
injured his groin during Game 7 against the Kings, doing his infamous ''big balls'' dance after knocking down the series-clinching bucket, and as a result, played only sparingly during the Lakers series. Many around the NBA, including both
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High sch ...
and
Phil Jackson Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive. A power forward, Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA, winning NBA championships with the New York Knicks in 1970 and ...
believe that had he been healthy, the Wolves would have advanced to the finals.


Departure of Flip Saunders

Going into the 2004–05 season, the Wolves roster remained virtually the same from the previous season; however, Babcock left to become the general manager of the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
, and the team was also plagued with contract disputes and the complaining of key players
Latrell Sprewell Latrell Fontaine Sprewell (born September 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Du ...
,
Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall i ...
, and
Troy Hudson Troy Elderon Hudson (born March 13, 1976) is an American retired professional basketball point guard. He played 11 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after going undrafted in 1997. He averaged a career-high 14.2 points per game w ...
during the off-season. After a disappointing start to the season, Head Coach
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High sch ...
was replaced by general manager and long-time friend Kevin McHale, who took over as coach for the rest of the season. Despite a strong finish, the Timberwolves missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years, by one game, to the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
, ending the season with a record of 44–38. During the 2005 offseason, McHale and the Wolves started their search for a head coach. McHale interviewed Seattle SuperSonics assistant coach
Dwane Casey Dwane Lyndon Casey (born April 17, 1957) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a former NCAA basketball player and coach, having played and coached there ...
,
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
assistant
P. J. Carlesimo Peter John Carlesimo (born May 30, 1949) is an American basketball coach who coached in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and college basketball for nearly 40 years. He is also a television broadcaster, having worked with ESPN, '' Th ...
, former coach John Lucas and Wolves assistants
Randy Wittman Randy Scott Wittman (born October 28, 1959) is an American former basketball player at the guard position and former coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Washington Wizards. Playing career High school Wittman starr ...
,
Sidney Lowe Sidney Rochell Lowe (born January 21, 1960) is an American former basketball player and coach. He is currently an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lowe played college basketball and serve ...
and
Jerry Sichting Jerry Lee Sichting (born November 29, 1956) is an American basketball coach and retired player of the National Basketball Association (NBA). High school career Jerry Sichting, the , point guard from Martinsville, Indiana, attended Martinsv ...
, among others. On June 17, 2005, the Timberwolves hired Casey as the new head coach. It was Casey's first head coaching job, making him the Wolves' seventh head coach in their 16-year history. In the 2005 draft, the Timberwolves selected
Rashad McCants Rashad Dion McCants (born September 25, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player who has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as overseas. He played for Trilogy in the BIG3 three-on-three league. High schoo ...
, a shooting guard from
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
with the 14th overall pick of the first round. The Timberwolves also selected
Bracey Wright Bracey Arman Wright (born July 1, 1984) is a former American professional basketball player. Amateur career Wright attended The Colony High School in The Colony, Texas. He was a high school teammate of future NBA guard Deron Williams. He was a 20 ...
, a guard from
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, with the 17th pick of the second round (47th overall). During the offseason, they traded All-Star
Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall i ...
and a protected future first-round draft pick to the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
for
Marko Jarić Marko Jarić ( sr-cyr, Марко Јарић, ; el, Μάρκο Γιάριτς, Marko Yiarits; born 12 October 1978) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. Standing at 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in), he mainly played the shooting guard po ...
and
Lionel Chalmers Lionel Chalmers, Jr. (born November 10, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is 6'0" (1.83 m) in height and play ...
. They also signed free agent
Nikoloz Tskitishvili Nikoloz Tskitishvili ( ka, ნიკოლოზ ცქიტიშვილი; born April 14, 1983) is a Georgian former professional basketball player. He is a 7'0" forward-center, who was selected fifth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the ...
. On January 26, 2006, the Wolves traded forward
Wally Szczerbiak Walter Robert Szczerbiak Jr. ( ; born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current color analyst for the New York Knicks on MSG Network. He played 10 seasons for four teams in the National Basketball Associat ...
, centers Dwayne Jones and
Michael Olowokandi Michael Olowokandi (born 3 April 1975) is a Nigerian former professional basketball player. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in London, he played collegiately for the Pacific Tigers in Stockton, California. Nicknamed "The Kandi Man," Olowokandi ...
, and a future first-round draft pick to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
. In return, they received forward-guard
Ricky Davis Tyree Ricardo Davis (born September 23, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for University of Iowa. Biography Davis atten ...
, center
Mark Blount Mark D. Blount ( ; born November 30, 1975) is an American retired professional basketball center with four teams in the National Basketball Association between 2000 and 2009. Career Blount spent his freshman year of high school in Summerville, ...
, forward
Justin Reed Justin Michael Reed (January 16, 1982 – October 20, 2017) was an American professional basketball player, who played at the small forward position. College career Reed led the University of Mississippi's Ole Miss Rebels as part of the "Provin ...
, guard
Marcus Banks Arthur Lemarcus "Marcus" Banks III (born November 19, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. Banks is tall and . He played college basketball at the UNLV with the Runnin' Rebels, where he was Co-Defensive Player of the Year ...
, and two second-round draft picks. In a separate trade on the same day, the Timberwolves traded Tskitishvili to the Phoenix Suns for a 2006 second-round draft pick. The Timberwolves finished 33–49, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. In the 2006 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected future
NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...
Brandon Roy Brandon Dawayne Roy (born July 23, 1984) is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the head coach of the boys' basketball team at Garfield High School in Seattle. Roy played six seasons in the National Basketball Associati ...
with the 6th overall pick, Craig Smith with the 36th pick, forward Bobby Jones with the 37th pick and center
Loukas Mavrokefalidis Loukas Mavrokefalidis (alternate spelling: Mavrokefalides) (Greek: Λουκάς Μαυροκεφαλίδης; born July 25, 1984) is a Greek professional basketball player and the team captain for Ionikos Nikaias of the Greek Basket League. He ha ...
with the 57th pick. The Timberwolves traded Roy to the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
for
Randy Foye Randy Foye (born September 24, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Villanova University. He was selected seventh overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, but was immediately traded to ...
and cash considerations. The Timberwolves then traded Bobby Jones to the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
for a 2007 second-round pick and cash. On January 23, McHale fired head coach Casey and replaced him with
Randy Wittman Randy Scott Wittman (born October 28, 1959) is an American former basketball player at the guard position and former coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Washington Wizards. Playing career High school Wittman starr ...
. McHale explained in a news conference that it was inconsistency by Casey that led to the firing. Casey had compiled an overall record of 53–69. They finished the 2006–07 season with a record of 32–50, allowing them to keep their 2007 first-round pick.


2007–2010: Post-Kevin Garnett era

On July 31, 2007, the Minnesota Timberwolves reached a deal to trade All-Star Kevin Garnett to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
for
Al Jefferson Al Ricardo Jefferson (born January 4, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a high school All-American for Prentiss High School in Mississippi before skipping college to enter the 2004 NBA draft, where he was drafted 1 ...
,
Theo Ratliff Theo is a given name and a hypocorism. Greek origin Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god, for example: *Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, ...
,
Gerald Green Gerald Green (born January 26, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 18th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Know ...
,
Sebastian Telfair Sebastian Telfair (born June 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA and the Chinese Basketball Association. Telfair was picked thirteenth overall in the 2004 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers on ...
,
Ryan Gomes Ryan Anthony Gomes (born September 1, 1982) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Cold Hearts of Overtime Elite (OTE). He was named a First Team All-American power forward at Providence Coll ...
, two first-round draft picks, and cash considerations. This is the largest combination of players and picks ever traded for a single player in NBA history. Garnett and the Celtics went on to win the 2008 NBA Finals in six games over the Los Angeles Lakers. That summer, the Timberwolves traded Mike James and
Justin Reed Justin Michael Reed (January 16, 1982 – October 20, 2017) was an American professional basketball player, who played at the small forward position. College career Reed led the University of Mississippi's Ole Miss Rebels as part of the "Provin ...
to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
for
Juwan Howard Juwan Antonio Howard (born February 7, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's team. A one-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA power forward, he began his NBA career ...
. In October of the same year, the Timberwolves waived Howard after reaching a contractual buyout agreement, worth $10 million of roughly $14.25 million which Minnesota would have owed him. The team also traded
Ricky Davis Tyree Ricardo Davis (born September 23, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for University of Iowa. Biography Davis atten ...
and
Mark Blount Mark D. Blount ( ; born November 30, 1975) is an American retired professional basketball center with four teams in the National Basketball Association between 2000 and 2009. Career Blount spent his freshman year of high school in Summerville, ...
to the Miami Heat in exchange for the Heat's
Antoine Walker Antoine Devon Walker (born August 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft out of the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008. Walker ...
, Michael Doleac,
Wayne Simien Wayne Anthony Simien Jr. (born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player, who last played with Spain's Cáceres Ciudad de Baloncesto. He was a member of the Miami Heat when they won the 2006 NBA championship. Simien pla ...
, and a 2008 protected first-round draft pick. In the 2007 NBA draft the Timberwolves selected
Corey Brewer Corey Wayne Brewer (born March 5, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player who serves as a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, winning back-to-back NCAA na ...
, with the 7th pick, and Chris Richard with the 41st overall pick, both being from the two-time
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
national champion Florida Gators. Minnesota began the NBA preseason with two games in London and
Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, as part of NBA Europe Live 2007. On October 10, The Wolves lost to Garnett and the revamped Celtics, 92–81. To start the season, the Wolves began 0–5 before ending the drought with a home win over the
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
. That drought also brought about speculation of the possible dismissal of coach Wittman. The youngest team in the NBA began adjusting to life after trading franchise star Garnett to Boston, meanwhile playing without budding talent
Randy Foye Randy Foye (born September 24, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Villanova University. He was selected seventh overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, but was immediately traded to ...
for the first half of the season. Guards
Sebastian Telfair Sebastian Telfair (born June 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA and the Chinese Basketball Association. Telfair was picked thirteenth overall in the 2004 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers on ...
and
Marko Jarić Marko Jarić ( sr-cyr, Марко Јарић, ; el, Μάρκο Γιάριτς, Marko Yiarits; born 12 October 1978) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. Standing at 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in), he mainly played the shooting guard po ...
were deputized as starting point guards during Foye's injury absence. The Timberwolves finished the season 22–60. On a handful of occasions during the season, the team showed flashes of its potential in wins or very close contests with top-tier teams. In the 2008 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected
O. J. Mayo Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo (born November 5, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Zamalek SC of the Egyptian Basketball Super League (EBSL). He played a single season of college basketball for the USC Trojans while earnin ...
of USC with the third overall pick. When the draft concluded, the Timberwolves traded Mayo,
Antoine Walker Antoine Devon Walker (born August 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft out of the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008. Walker ...
,
Greg Buckner Gregory Derayle Buckner (born September 16, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who is the associate head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He had previously served as an assis ...
, and
Marko Jarić Marko Jarić ( sr-cyr, Марко Јарић, ; el, Μάρκο Γιάριτς, Marko Yiarits; born 12 October 1978) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. Standing at 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in), he mainly played the shooting guard po ...
to the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
in exchange for fifth overall pick
Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star Game, All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA ...
, Mike Miller,
Jason Collins Jason Paul Collins (born December 2, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who was a center for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, where he was ...
, and
Brian Cardinal Brian Lee Cardinal (born May 2, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 456 games in the NBA between 2000 and 2012, and won an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Before his NBA career, he was one o ...
in a move that
Jim Stack Jim Stack is an American basketball executive and former player. He served as general manager of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves from July 9, 2004 to September 26, 2009. Prior to joining the Timberwolves' organization, Stack worked as a scout ...
called, "a deal we couldn't pass up." In 2008, in celebration of the franchise's 20th anniversary, the team unveiled an updated version of its logo and uniforms. The new designs first appeared in the first preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at
United Center United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). It is named ...
on October 14, 2008. They also refurbished the floor at
Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
, returning to the traditional floor pattern and added touches of varnish while exposing most of the hardwood. On December 8, 2008, after a 23-point loss to the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
that dropped the team to 4–15, the Timberwolves fired head coach Wittman and McHale took over. McHale also relinquished his vice president of basketball operations duties. It was unclear whether McHale's future with the team was dependent on the success or progress of the team which he had put together over the previous four years. Those questions seemed to be answered when the Timberwolves went 10–4 for the month of January, giving McHale the coach of the month honors. But on February 8, 2009, the team's main star
Al Jefferson Al Ricardo Jefferson (born January 4, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a high school All-American for Prentiss High School in Mississippi before skipping college to enter the 2004 NBA draft, where he was drafted 1 ...
tore his ACL in his right knee in a game at
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, sidelining him for the rest of the season. At the time of the injury, Jefferson was having his best season to date, averaging 23 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Without Jefferson and Corey Brewer (who also suffered a season-ending injury), the Wolves sputtered, to finish with a 24–58 record. On June 17, 2009, new president of basketball operations David Kahn announced that McHale would not be returning to the team as head coach. Kahn did not give a specific reason for McHale's dismissal, only saying "this is going to be a transition period." For his part, McHale said he wanted to come back but was not offered a contract. Later, in August, the Timberwolves announced the signing of
Kurt Rambis Darrell Kurt Rambis (born February 25, 1958) is a Greek-American former professional basketball player and coach who is a senior basketball adviser for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won fou ...
, then an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers, to a four-year, $8 million contract to be their new head coach. In Rambis's first season, the team stumbled to the second-worst record in the league, as their 15–67 record was only surpassed by that of the New Jersey Nets, who finished at 12–70.


2010–2014: The Kevin Love era

On July 12, 2010, Minnesota traded for Miami Heat forward
Michael Beasley Michael Paul Beasley Jr. (born January 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for Kansas State Univers ...
, the second pick from the 2008 NBA draft. In a locally untelevised game on November 12, 2010, Kevin Love grabbed a franchise-record 31 rebounds and scored 31 points in a win over the New York Knicks, the NBA's first 30–30 game in 28 years. Love was later named an All Star for the 2010–11 NBA season, the franchise's first All Star selection since Kevin Garnett in 2007. Love would later break Garnett's team record of 37 straight double-doubles on February 8, 2011, in a win over the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
. On March 8, 2011, Love acquired his 52nd straight double-double, surpassing the mark of
Moses Malone Moses Eugene Malone (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A cen ...
for the most consecutive double-doubles since the NBA-ABA merger in a win over the Indiana Pacers. The streak eventually reached 53 games and came to an end with a six-point, 12-rebound performance in a 100–77 loss to the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
on March 13. In October 2011, Love was ranked 16th among active players by
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
. On February 21, 2011,
Corey Brewer Corey Wayne Brewer (born March 5, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player who serves as a player development coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, winning back-to-back NCAA na ...
and
Kosta Koufos Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos ( Greek: ; born February 24, 1989) is a Greek-American professional basketball player who plays for the London Lions of the British Basketball League (BBL). He played one season at Ohio State before being sel ...
were traded to the New York Knicks and
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
respectively for Knicks
Anthony Randolph Anthony Erwin Randolph Jr. (born July 15, 1989) is an American-Slovenian professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Slovenian national basketball team, winning the 2017 ...
and
Eddy Curry Eddy Anthony Curry Jr. (born December 5, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Coming directly out of Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, Curry was selected fourth overall in the 2001 NBA draft by the Chicago B ...
(plus $3 million in cash from New York and a 2015 second-round draft pick from Denver) as part of a larger trade that sent all-star
Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team ...
from Denver to New York. On the downside, with a 121–102 loss to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
, the Timberwolves fell to 17–65, finishing last in the Western Conference for the second straight year. They also clinched the 2010–11 NBA season's worst record. During the offseason, the Timberwolves were finally able to bring 2009 fifth overall pick Ricky Rubio over from Spain. In the 2011 NBA draft, with the second overall pick, the Timberwolves selected Derrick Williams of
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. The Timberwolves then traded guard
Jonny Flynn Jonny William Flynn (born February 6, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. A three-year National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran, he last played for the Orlandina Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A and played collegiat ...
and the draft rights to
Donatas Motiejūnas Donatas Motiejūnas (; born September 20, 1990) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for AS Monaco Basket of LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague. He was drafted 20th overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves before going on ...
(No. 20) to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
for center Brad Miller, the draft rights to Nikola Mirotić (No. 23),
Chandler Parsons Chandler Evan Parsons (born October 25, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Florida and was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the 38th overall pick in the 2011 NBA dra ...
(No. 38) and a future first-round pick. The Timberwolves traded Mirotic's rights to the Chicago Bulls for the rights to
Norris Cole Norris Gene Cole II (born October 13, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League. A 6' 2" point guard, he is a two-time NBA champion, winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 with the Miami ...
(No. 28) and Malcolm Lee (No. 43). The Timberwolves then sold the rights to Parsons back to the Rockets. The Timberwolves traded
Norris Cole Norris Gene Cole II (born October 13, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League. A 6' 2" point guard, he is a two-time NBA champion, winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 with the Miami ...
(No. 28) to the Miami Heat for the draft rights to
Bojan Bogdanovic Bojan (Serbian Cyrillic and Macedonian: Бојан; Ukrainian, Russian and Bulgarian Cyrillic: Боян, transcribed ''Boyan'') is a Slavic given name, derived from the Slavic noun ''boj'' "battle." The ending ''-an'' is a suffix frequently found ...
(No. 31), a future second-round pick and cash considerations. The Timberwolves then traded Bogdanovic's rights to the New Jersey Nets for a future second-rounder and cash. The Trail Blazers traded the draft rights to
Tanguy Ngombo Tanguy Alban Harrys Ngombo, often incorrectly written as Targuy Ngombo (born July 18, 1984 #Age_discrepancy.html" "title="/nowiki>#Age discrepancy">disputed]), is a Congolese–Qatari professional basketball player who plays for Al Rayyan Basket ...
(No. 57) to the Timberwolves. On July 12, 2011,
Kurt Rambis Darrell Kurt Rambis (born February 25, 1958) is a Greek-American former professional basketball player and coach who is a senior basketball adviser for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won fou ...
was fired as coach of the team after compiling a 32–132 record in two seasons with the team. On September 13, 2011, the team announced that they had hired
Rick Adelman Richard Leonard Adelman (born June 16, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Adelman served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden ...
to be the team's new head coach. The Timberwolves began the 2011–12 NBA season with a 17–17 record before the All-Star break. On March 9, 2012, Rubio tore his left ACL and LCL in a collision with Kobe Bryant. The injury ended his season and severely hurt the Timberwolves' chances of making the playoffs. Despite being in contention at mid-season, the team ultimately failed to reach the postseason for the eighth straight year due to injuries to a number of key players. The team finished with a record of 26–40, with the only win of the team's final 14 games coming against the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
. The team traded the 18th overall pick of the 2012 NBA draft to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
for
Chase Budinger Chase Andrew Budinger (born May 22, 1988) is an American professional volleyball player and former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 44th overall pick in 2009 NBA draft after playing three years of c ...
. On June 26, 2012, the Timberwolves selected
Robbie Hummel Robert John Hummel (born March 8, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player and current TV commentator. He played college basketball for Purdue University. He currently is a member of Princeton 3X3 on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. On ...
with the 58th overall pick, the team's only selection during the draft. During the offseason, the team signed former Timberwolves draft pick
Brandon Roy Brandon Dawayne Roy (born July 23, 1984) is an American basketball coach and former player. He serves as the head coach of the boys' basketball team at Garfield High School in Seattle. Roy played six seasons in the National Basketball Associati ...
to a two-year, $10 million contract. The deal was announced on July 31. With the inclusion of Roy in the shooting guard position, players that also signed during the offseason included
Andrei Kirilenko Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko (russian: Андрей Геннадьевич Кириленко; born February 18, 1981) is a Russian-American basketball executive and former professional basketball player, currently the commissioner of the Russ ...
,
Alexey Shved Alexey Viktorovich Shved ( Russian: Алексей Викторович Швед; born December 16, 1988) is a Russian professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League. Standing at , he plays at the shooting guard position ...
and
Louis Amundson Louis Gabriel Amundson ( born December 7, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball, UNLV and 12 years professionally, including 10 seasons in the NBA. Early life ...
. While technically in playoff contention early, multiple injuries began to plague the team. Roy, Budinger, Lee and free-agent signing
Josh Howard Joshua Jay Howard (born April 28, 1980) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the UNT Dallas Trailblazers men's basketball team. He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. H ...
succumbed to knee injuries. The mood of despair was shortly lifted by the splashy return of Rubio. But not long after, Love, who missed the first nine games of the season after fracturing the third and fourth metacarpals in his right hand in a preseason home workout, suffered a recurrence of the injury in a win over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
on January 3. One of the few highlights in the second half of the season was Rubio's triple-double performance during a surprising win over the then-first place
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
, albeit without Spurs stars Tony Parker and Tim Duncan playing due to injury. On April 6, in a game against the Detroit Pistons, Adelman won his 1000th game as a head coach. This season marked the first time the franchise had won at least 30 games without Kevin Garnett on the roster. The team decided to part ways with David Kahn after the season ended, with
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High sch ...
being brought in to replace him. In the 2013 NBA draft, the team traded the 9th overall pick
Trey Burke Alfonso Clark "Trey" Burke III (born November 12, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines where in the 2012–13 season, he earne ...
for
Shabazz Muhammad Shabazz Nagee Muhammad (born November 13, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for Beirut Club of the Lebanese Basketball League (LBL). He played one season of college basketball for the UCLA Bruins before being selected with the 14 ...
(14th pick) and
Gorgui Dieng Gorgui Sy Dieng (; ; born January 18, 1990) is a Senegalese professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. Dieng was selected as ...
(21st pick) in the first round from the Utah Jazz. On March 28, 2014, the Timberwolves set a franchise record for points in a regular-season game with a 143–107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The win also marked the Timberwolves' first season-series win over the Lakers since the 2005–06 season. The team accumulated 40 wins for the first time since the 2005 season, but missed the playoffs for the tenth consecutive year, despite holding the league's highest point differential at the end of the season. On April 21, 2014,
Rick Adelman Richard Leonard Adelman (born June 16, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Adelman served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden ...
announced his retirement from coaching in the NBA. Adelman acquired a 97–133 record in three seasons with the team.


2014–2020: The Wiggins and Towns era

On August 23, 2014, the Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
agreed on a three-way trade that would send
Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star Game, All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA ...
to the Cavaliers to join
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest p ...
and
Kyrie Irving Kyrie Andrew Irving (; lkt, Ȟéla, italic=no, ; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected ...
. Minnesota received
Andrew Wiggins Andrew Christian Wiggins (born February 23, 1995) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the List of first overall NBA draft picks, first ov ...
, Anthony Bennett,
Thaddeus Young Thaddeus Charles Young Sr. (born June 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Georgia Tech, before being drafted 12th overall i ...
, and a trade exception as part of the deal. The 76ers received
Alexey Shved Alexey Viktorovich Shved ( Russian: Алексей Викторович Швед; born December 16, 1988) is a Russian professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League. Standing at , he plays at the shooting guard position ...
,
Luc Mbah a Moute Luc Richard Mbah a Moute ( ; born 9 September 1986) is a Cameroonian former professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Mbah a Moute also plays for the Cameroon national t ...
, and a 2015 first-round pick via the Miami Heat. The 2014–15 season marked a new era for the Timberwolves, beginning with the
Kevin Love Kevin Wesley Love (born September 7, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star Game, All-Star, a two-time member of the All-NBA ...
trade.
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High sch ...
was promoted to head coach, making it his second stint with the Timberwolves after coaching the team from 1995 to 2005. The Timberwolves started the new season with a 105–101 loss to the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
, with Wiggins making his debut. The team recorded its first win the following game, a 97–91 victory over the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
. On November 12, 2014, the Timberwolves played an international home game at
Mexico City Arena Mexico City Arena ( es, Arena Ciudad de México) is an indoor arena in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. It hosts concerts, sports, and other events. It officially opened on February 25, 2012. The total cost of the arena was $300 million. The a ...
against the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
. The Timberwolves had a 16–66 record for the season and missed the playoffs for the 11th consecutive year. Despite this, Wiggins was selected as the
NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...
, the first player in franchise history to be so honored. Draft pick
Zach LaVine Zachary Thomas LaVine ( ; born March 10, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick ...
gained league notoriety after winning the Slam Dunk Contest. LaVine and Wiggins, dubbed "The Bounce Brothers", were seen as being the future of the franchise. Due to having the worst record in the NBA for the 2014–15 season, the Timberwolves had the highest chance, at 25%, to receive the first pick in the 2015 NBA draft at the 2015 NBA draft lottery. On May 19, the Timberwolves received the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft for the first time in franchise history. On June 25, the Timberwolves selected
Karl-Anthony Towns Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. (born November 15, 1995), sometimes known as KAT (his initials), is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basket ...
as the number one pick and acquired Minnesota's own
Tyus Jones Tyus Robert Jones Sr. (born May 10, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously played for his hometown team the Minnesota Timberwolves for 4 seasons ...
through a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2015 season also saw the return of Kevin Garnett. In February, Garnett, at the time with the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
, waived his no-trade clause to enable a trade back to Minnesota which sent
Thaddeus Young Thaddeus Charles Young Sr. (born June 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Georgia Tech, before being drafted 12th overall i ...
to Brooklyn. In his first game back, Garnett resumed wearing the No. 21 jersey that had not been worn by any other Timberwolves player since his departure and the team defeated the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...
97–77 at the Target Center. On June 6, 2014, Saunders was named the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, returning to the franchise for a second stint. During his second stint with the Timberwolves, Saunders was diagnosed with
Hodgkin's lymphoma Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes. The condition w ...
. As a result, during his recovery, he would delegate his coaching position over to assistant coach and former
NBA Coach of the Year The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led ...
winner Sam Mitchell. On October 25, 2015, Saunders died at age 60. Mitchell took over as head coach. In honor of Saunders, the team announced that they would wear a patch reading "FLIP" on their uniforms for the duration of the 2015–16 season.


2016–2019: The Tom Thibodeau saga

On April 20, 2016, the Timberwolves agreed to sign
Tom Thibodeau Thomas Joseph Thibodeau Jr. ( ; born January 17, 1958) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He served as an assistant coach for the United States men's national ...
to be their head coach and president of basketball operations. He was previously an assistant coach for the team from 1989 to 1991. On September 23, 2016, Kevin Garnett announced his retirement after 21 seasons in the NBA. He expressed interest in playing one more year for the Timberwolves but felt that his knees would be unable to hold up for the duration of the season. The Timberwolves ended their season with a 31–51 record, having only a two-game improvement from their previous season.


2018: The Arrival of Jimmy Butler and the return to the playoffs

On June 22, 2017, the Timberwolves acquired
Jimmy Butler Jimmy Butler III (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Jimmy Buckets", he is a six-time NBA All-Star, a four-time All-NBA Team honore ...
and the 16th overall pick in the 2017 draft in trade for Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn and the 7th overall pick in the draft (used to select
Lauri Markkanen Lauri Elias Markkanen (born 22 May 1997) is a Finnish professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the 2017 NBA draft, he was taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the seventh overall pick b ...
). This trade marked the end of the LaVine and Wiggins duo, dubbed "Bounce Brothers". Later that night, the Timberwolves selected center
Justin Patton Justin Nicholas Patton (born June 14, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for Cholet Basket of the French LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays. Patton was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2 ...
with the 16th overall pick in the draft. Later, the team added
Taj Gibson Taj Jami Gibson (born June 24, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Gibson played college basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected 26th overall by th ...
, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford and Derrick Rose during free agency. The Timberwolves ended their season with a 47–35 record, which became the first winning season since the 2004–05 Minnesota Timberwolves season, 2004–05 season, and secured the last spot in the playoffs on the final day of the regular season with a 112–106 win over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
. The 2017–18 season also ended the longest streak without a playoff appearance at 13 seasons. The Timberwolves would be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Houston Rockets in five games. On November 12, 2018, the Timberwolves traded Butler and
Justin Patton Justin Nicholas Patton (born June 14, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for Cholet Basket of the French LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the Creighton Bluejays. Patton was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2 ...
to the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Šarić, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round draft pick. On January 6, 2019, Thibodeau was fired as head coach and president of basketball operations. After Thibodeau's firing, it was announced that Ryan Saunders would serve as interim head coach until a permanent head coach is found.


2020–present: The Towns/Gobert/Edwards (Big Three) era and new ownership

On May 1, it was announced that the Timberwolves had hired Gersson Rosas, who previously served as the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
' executive vice president of basketball operations, as their new president of basketball operations. On May 20, after conducting interviews with several candidates, the Timberwolves announced that Ryan Saunders had been hired to a multi-year deal to become the team's permanent head coach, removing his "interim" status. With Rosas' hiring, the Timberwolves also made several front office changes in the organization. The Timberwolves held both a first- and second-round draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The 11th pick (which was Cameron Johnson) along with Dario Šarić was traded to the Suns in exchange for the 6th pick in Jarrett Culver, a small forward from Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball, Texas Tech. With the 43rd pick, the Timberwolves selected Jaylen Nowell, a point guard from Washington Huskies men's basketball, Washington. On February 6, 2020, The Timberwolves traded Andrew Wiggins to the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
for Karl-Anthony Towns' longtime friend D'Angelo Russell. At the season's end the Timberwolves got the 1st pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. With that pick, the team drafted Anthony Edwards (basketball), Anthony Edwards out of Georgia Bulldogs basketball, Georgia. On February 21, 2021, head coach Ryan Saunders was fired, and
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
assistant coach Chris Finch (basketball), Chris Finch was hired to replace him. The Timberwolves finished the season 23-49 and missing the playoffs. In April 2021, the Timberwolves announced that owner Glen Taylor had reached a deal with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to sell the team. Lore and Rodriguez will become majority owners over the course of two years. On July 21, 2021, it was announced that Lore and Rodriguez had purchased 20% of the team. They will purchase 20% more in 2022, and 40% more in 2023, at which time they will be the majority owners of the club. The transaction also includes ownership in the Timberwolves' WNBA sister-club, the
Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Founded p ...
. The deal values the team at $1.5 billion. In the offseason the Wolves traded guard Ricky Rubio to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Taurean Prince. The Wolves then acquired guard Patrick Beverley in exchange for Juancho Hernangómez, Juancho Hernangomez and former first round pick Jarrett Culver. The final move they made was signing former 2020 NBA draft, 2020 draft pick Leandro Bolmaro to a 4-year, 11.8-million-dollar rookie contract. On September 22, 2021, after Gersson Rosas was relieved of his President of Basketball Operations duties, Sachin Gupta (executive), Sachin Gupta was promoted as the new interim President of Basketball Operations, while keeping his role as EVP of Basketball Operations. The Timberwolves 2021–22 NBA season, 2021-22 season began on October 20 at
Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
against the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
. The Timberwolves finished the season 46-36 overall, the second most regular season wins since making the conference finals in 2004. Despite All-star Karl-Anthony Towns fouling out with 11 points in 24 minutes, the Wolves beat the LA Clippers in the 7-8 play-in game to secure their spot in the 2022 NBA playoffs. The Timberwolves were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the First Round 4 games to 2. On May 23, 2022 it was announced that the Timberwolves had hired Tim Connelly, who previously served as the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
' president of basketball operations, as their president of basketball operations, taking over Gupta’s job. He was reportedly signed to a 5-year, $40 million contract by the Timberwolves, that includes ownership equity. On July 1, 2022 the Timberwolves traded Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, and 2022 No.22 Pick Walker Kessler and 4 future first round draft picks for 3x NBA DPOY Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz.


Logos and uniforms

In their inaugural season in 1989, the Timberwolves (or "Wolves" as it said on their jerseys) debuted blue road uniforms with green lettering and numbers with white. Their home uniforms featured blue lettering and numbers with green outlining. The creation of both uniforms was led by head designer, Brian Mulligan. There was going to be a green alternate jersey with blue lettering to go with the uniforms, but the idea was dropped. It would've followed a similar move the Dallas Mavericks took when they switched back to blue in the early 1990s, opting the Wolves a chance to use green for a jersey color instead. After drafting Kevin Garnett, the Timberwolves design team, under guidance from Brian Mulligan, changed their uniforms yet again in 1996. This time, the team added black and grey to the mix, and changing to a darker shade of blue. The front of the jerseys then said the team's full name "Timberwolves" in a different font. For the 1997–98 season, a black alternate uniform was introduced. Those uniforms were used until the 2007–08 season. The Timberwolves unveiled a new alternate logo on June 25, 2008. The uniforms changed again in the 2008 off-season, this time with the road jerseys reading "Minnesota" and the home jerseys reading "Wolves", similar to that of the team's early years. Both uniforms had green, black, grey and blue on the pits and sides of the shorts. The Timberwolves unveiled modified uniforms on August 16, 2010. The new uniforms eliminated the green from the collar, jersey and shorts, and the team also adjusted its number font again. On November 23, 2010, the Timberwolves unveiled a black alternate uniform. On November 27, 2013, the team changed their black road alternate jersey to a short sleeved jersey. The change came about due to the NBA's introduction of sleeved jerseys. On April 11, 2017, the team unveiled a new logo to coincide with the massive roster turnaround of the past few years. The Timberwolves revealed four new uniforms for the 2017–18 season as a part of a Nike, Inc., Nike-sponsored, league-wide initiative to redesign team uniforms. All four uniforms used "Wolves" for the team name and included the Swoosh, Nike Swoosh and Fitbit logos. The Association Edition uniform, revealed on August 10, 2017, consisted of a white uniform with navy and blue stripes and lettering. The Icon Edition uniform, which was revealed alongside its Association counterpart, has a navy body with white stripes and lettering. On September 15, the Timberwolves revealed their Statement Edition uniform which is primarily neon green with navy stripes, navy lettering for the team and player names, and white text with a navy stroke for the jersey numbers. The City Edition uniform, which is primarily gray with white lettering, was the last to be revealed on December 27. On August 30, 2018, the Timberwolves unveiled their first "Classic" edition uniforms based on the black alternates used from 1997 to 2008. They also unveiled a dark purple "City" uniform inspired by Prince (musician), Prince's 1984 album ''Purple Rain (album), Purple Rain'', as well as a white "Earned" version that was exclusive only to the 16 teams that made the 2018 playoffs. The Timberwolves' 2019–20 "City" uniform, which was unveiled on November 20, 2019, featured a sky blue base with white letters and trim that paid homage to the waters of the Mississippi River and the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area (the "Twin Cities"). For the 2020–21 season, the Timberwolves' "City" uniform paid homage to the Polaris, North Star, featuring a midnight black base and aurora green trim. A green star is affixed below the neckline and above the abbreviation "MINN" in grey. As part of the NBA's 75th anniversary, the Timberwolves' "City" uniform in the 2021–22 season mixed various elements from the franchise's previous uniforms. The royal blue base recalled the original 1989–1996 uniforms. The tree accents and lettering visually honored the 1996–2008 uniforms. The dark blue accents were inspired by the 2017–18 "City" uniforms. The original 1989–1996 logo was placed on the right leg, while the current logo was affixed on the left leg. Beginning with the 2022–23 season, the Timberwolves unveiled a new "Statement" uniform, relegating neon green to trim color and featured a dark grey base. The full name "Timberwolves" was featured in front along with green-trimmed grey numbers. Also during the season, a new "City" uniform was unveiled, featuring a white base, black letters and stripes, and rainbow palette to represent Minnesota's colorful community.


Mascot

Crunch the Wolf is the official mascot of the Minnesota Timberwolves, According to the team's official website, "Crunch was born in the northernmost part of Minnesota’s wilderness areas. Deep in the forest, he grew with a love for something never before seen by others in his pack. Crunch's love for the game of basketball puzzled his mother and father, for he seemed to pick up the game on his own. With a makeshift basket built of pine-cones and birch bark, Crunch began to refine his game when he was still just a young pup. He learned the rules and techniques that make the game of basketball so great. He studied players and coaches alike, and soon would find himself on a journey like no other. Years later, when Minnesota’s expansion team, the Timberwolves, came to town, Crunch said goodbye to all he had known growing up in the woods, and migrated south to the Twin Cities where the team was to be based. No one is quite sure where Crunch lives, but legend has it he has a den somewhere deep inside the Target Center. He is lured out on game-days by the deafening howl made by Wolves fans. This howl creates an atmosphere in the Target Center that reminds Crunch of his days back in the forest, and yet keeps him here in Minneapolis, with the pursuit of helping the team to a victory."


Arenas


Season-by-season record

''List of the last five seasons completed by the Timberwolves. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Minnesota Timberwolves seasons.'' ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage''


Players


Current roster


Retained draft rights

The Timberwolves hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends. This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.


Retired numbers

* 1 The Timberwolves retired
Malik Sealy Malik Sealy (February 1, 1970 – May 20, 2000) was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30. Sealy played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) ...
's number after he was killed by a drunk driver in an automobile accident after the 1999–2000 NBA season, 1999–2000 season concluded. * 2 The Timberwolves retired "FLIP" in honor of
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High sch ...
on February 15, 2018, who died after a battle with
Hodgkin's lymphoma Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes. The condition w ...
on October 25, 2015. * The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.


Basketball Hall of Famers


Franchise leaders


Management


Radio

The flagship station for the Timberwolves Radio Network is 830 WCCO (AM). WCCO became the team's radio home in 2011. Before that, KFXN-FM, KFAN/KFXN had been the Timberwolves' Twin Cities flagship station since the team's inception, except for a brief two-year hiatus to KLCI BOB 106.1 FM for the 2006–07 NBA season, 2006–07 and 2007–08 NBA season, 2007–08 seasons. Alan Horton has been the team's radio play-by-play announcer since the 2007–08 season.


Television

The Timberwolves' games are broadcast primarily on Bally Sports North. But if the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Wild occupy both Bally Sports North and Bally Sports North Extra, the game will be aired on WUCW as Bally Sports North Extra on The CW Twin Cities, and the Bally Sports app for viewers outside of WUCW's coverage area. The broadcasters are Michael Grady and Jim Petersen.


Head coaches


References


External links

* {{Authority control Minnesota Timberwolves, National Basketball Association teams Basketball teams established in 1989 Sports in Minneapolis 1989 establishments in Minnesota Basketball teams in Minnesota, Timberwolves