The 2021-22 campaign was largely kind to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Led by Karl-Anthony Towns and a breakout campaign for Anthony Edwards, the Wolves won 46 games and truly pushed the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. There were maddening moments along the way for Minnesota, but Edwards has the look of a true star, Towns remains tremendously effective, and some of the supporting pieces around Minnesota’s leading duo are falling into place.
With that said, the Wolves still have work to do in order to build a true Western Conference contender, and the clock is always ticking in the NBA. Minnesota began the 2022 offseason with the No. 19 overall pick and a bit of overall flexibility, and decided to move down three picks in order to land another first at No. 29 from Memphis.
Roster Needs: Another quality two-way forward, frontcourt defense and rebounding, long-term ball-handling if they move on from Russell
Walker Kessler (No. 22 Overall), C: Minnesota has been tied to a potential pursuit of a traditional center and Kessler fits that bill. Drafted in this range, he does not have to become an everyday starter in order to return value, and that is appropriate for Kessler as a prospect. He is a fantastic rim protector with an off-the-charts block rate, and Kessler could help to stabilize Minnesota’s defense in the future.
Wendell Moore (No. 26 Overall), B: The Wolves continued to move around on draft night, grabbing the 26th pick from Houston for No. 29 and some future seconds to land Moore, who is very well-rounded. He’s a very good passer with high-end feel. He also has a seven-foot wingspan and knows where to be on defense. He’s not a great athlete, leading to some finishing problems, but Moore is a projectable role player for Minnesota.
2022 Free Agents:
Taurean Prince (UFA)
Jake Layman (UFA)
Josh Okogie (RFA)
Greg Monroe (UFA)
Nathan Knight (RFA)
McKinley Wright IV (RFA)
Roster:
Karl-Anthony Towns
D’Angelo Russell
Malik Beasley
Anthony Edwards
Patrick Beverley
Jarred Vanderbilt
Leandro Bolmaro
Jaden McDaniels
Jordan McLaughlin
Jaylen Nowell (team option, non-guaranteed)
Naz Reid (team option, non-guaranteed)
Walker Kessler
Wendell Moore