Team By Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Foreword: What a season by the upstart Wolves! They took everyone by surprise, except their GM, Ethan. He believed in them from the beginning and the wins and validation rolled in all season long for Minnesota.

Season Highlight: Umm� everything?

Well, where do we start? As alluded to in the foreword, Ethan was the NSL Darling of the season, scooping up the GMOTY award and affectively, Most Improved GM, too. They won 66 games, won playoff series, pushed every team they played to the bitter end. Wolves� culture was built this season.

Season Lowlight:

There genuinely isn�t one. However, Ethan�s competitive spirit and unwavering hope in his team would lead me to believe that being eliminated, when they were, would be the biggest disappointment of the season.

Best Trade:

The Minnesota Timberwolves send Thomas Bryant and Saddiq Bey to the Phoenix Suns. The New York Knicks send Jonas Valanciunas to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Phoenix Suns send Naz Reid to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Phoenix Suns send Lonzo Ball to the Washington Wizards. The Washington Wizards send Clint Capela to the New York Knicks.
The Phoenix Suns send a 2nd-Rounder (SA) and 2nd-Rounder (Por) to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This trade set up the Wolves season, in my opinion. Moving out Thomas Bryant (who took little part in the season, left as a FA) and Saddiq Bey (young player, minimal 2k impact) for Jonas Valanciunas is absolute value. At the time, I thought it was a steal, and after 66 wins, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt. One of the under-the-radar great trades of the season.

Worst Trade:

I mean, Ethan is my guy� but, I really couldn�t find a �bad trade� for the entire season, which symbolises just how good he was, how sharp his decision making was. Winning 66 games is a massive achievement and takes an elite performance. Perhaps trading for Jason Preston, realising he couldn�t sign him, and moving him for half the price (losing a 2^ndrounder in the process), can be the �worst�?

Notable Trades:

The Minnesota Timberwolves send Immanuel Quickley to the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks send Khris Middleton to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Minnesota Timberwolves send a 1st-Rounder (Min) to the New York Knicks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves send Naz Reid and Sam Merrill to the San Antonio Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs send Rajon Rondo and Otto Porter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Minnesota Timberwolves send a 2nd-Rounder (Por) to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Minnesota Timberwolves send Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Utah Jazz. The Utah Jazz send Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Utah Jazz send a 2nd-Rounder (Chi) to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Minnesota Timberwolves receive 10 GM points. The Utah Jazz trade -10 GM points

The Atlanta Hawks send Kelly Olynyk to the Houston Rockets. The Atlanta Hawks send Myles Turner to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Houston Rockets send Josh Richardson to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Minnesota Timberwolves send Pascal Siakam to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Atlanta Hawks send a 1st-Rounder (Dal) to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Houston Rockets send a 2nd-Rounder (Hou) to the Minnesota Timberwolves

The Indiana Pacers send Pascal Siakam to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Minnesota Timberwolves send Caris LeVert and Kyle Kuzma to the Indiana Pacers. The Utah Jazz send Jordan Poole and Zeke Nnaji to the Indiana Pacers

Star Player: LaMelo Ball

The jewel in the �Hey everyone, I am moving Steph Curry� crown, LaMelo is a great basketballer, good leader and fantastic entertainer. He is one of those rare players that is effective in a traditional sense as a great basketballer, scorer and playmaker, but also does it with flare and further pushes the game of basketball into the modern era. Height, speed, and a savant on the break, Ball is the floor general that runs this successful Wolves team.

Draft Grades (according to resident Draft Guru Nenjabin):

Pick 21 � Jaden Hardy � B

Hardy is the largest leap from NBA draft to NSL draft this year (unless I�m forgetting someone). 37^th in the NBA, 21^st here. It�s a big jump, but I don�t hate it, but I also don�t love it, hence the B grade. He was always tagged to go far above his NBA spot here as he started the year as a projected top 5 pick but slid a long way playing in the GLeague last year. He had an NBA deal already by our draft though and a good spot in Dallas with a Brunson hole now to fill. It�s a fair swing for upside.

Pick 52 � Moussa Diabate � B

The Wolves bought into this pick on draft day to make this selection and went for the falling Diabate who was drafted 43 in the NBA. He looks like an energy big man with average feel for the game, which is why I thought he looked and compared to Mfiondu Kabengele�which Ethan hated me mentioning cause look where he is now. Mind you, he�s still beating up the Summer League circuit this year. Can he walk a different path?

Looking Ahead: