{"id":710716,"date":"2026-06-18T03:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T03:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/710716\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T03:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T03:45:11","slug":"best-draft-picks-in-minnesota-timberwolves-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/710716\/","title":{"rendered":"Best draft picks in Minnesota Timberwolves history"},"content":{"rendered":"

The draft is a seminal moment for many incoming players. Putting aside competitive stakes, each young athlete\u2019s life is irreversibly altered by the fame and fortune that comes with being an NBA player. The exorbitant contract values ensures these players almost never have to worry about personal finances. Plus, these young guns get to play alongside some of their basketball idols for a living. With these high stakes, it\u2019s easy to see why the draft is so revered.<\/p>\n

Likewise, the fortunes of a city and franchise can be completely transformed by a draft pick. LeBron James, for instance, brought Cleveland its first sports championship in 52 years and was also reportedly worth hundreds of millions<\/a> to the city\u2019s downtown economy. It almost goes without saying that Michael Jordan built the Chicago Bulls from the ground up into a championship team whose dynamic would reverberate through the decades.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, Stacker<\/a> compiled a list of the best draft picks in Minnesota Timberwolves history using data from Basketball-Reference.com<\/a>. Players were ranked according to a formula that approximates their career achievements, career value, and play quality. The formula encompasses Basketball-Reference.com\u2019s Hall of Fame probability<\/a>, career win shares, and value over replacement player, aka VORP. For players drafted before data is available for VORP, half of the player\u2019s win shares were used in its place to calculate their Stacker score. Basketball Hall of Fame inductees were given a minimum of 60% for their Hall of Fame probability, indicating a worthy r\u00e9sum\u00e9 for their time but not up to par with some modern players. Scores were normalized to 100 based on the scoring leader. Keep reading to see where your favorite players fall on the list.<\/p>\n

#33. Shabazz Muhammad
\u2013 Stacker score: 1.1
\u2013 14th overall pick in 2013
\u2013 Played four seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 9.0 PTS, 2.8 REB, 0.5 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 8.5 win shares, -2.0 box plus\/minus, 0.0 VORP<\/p>\n

#32. Keita Bates-Diop
\u2013 Stacker score: 1.1
\u2013 48th overall pick in 2018
\u2013 Played one season with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 6.0 PTS, 3.0 REB, 0.9 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 7.4 win shares, -1.6 box plus\/minus, 0.5 VORP<\/p>\n

#31. Glenn Robinson
\u2013 Stacker score: 1.1
\u2013 40th overall pick in 2014
\u2013 Career averages: 5.9 PTS, 2.6 REB, 0.8 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 7.9 win shares, -1.7 box plus\/minus, 0.4 VORP<\/p>\n

#30. Luc Longley
\u2013 Stacker score: 1.6
\u2013 Seventh overall pick in 1991
\u2013 Played two seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 7.2 PTS, 4.9 REB, 1.5 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 17.5 win shares, -2.6 box plus\/minus, -1.9 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 3x NBA Champ<\/p>\n

#29. Wesley Johnson
\u2013 Stacker score: 1.8
\u2013 Fourth overall pick in 2010
\u2013 Played two seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 7.0 PTS, 3.2 REB, 1.1 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 10.7 win shares, -1.6 box plus\/minus, 1.2 VORP<\/p>\n

#28. Josh Okogie
\u2013 Stacker score: 2.0
\u2013 20th overall pick in 2018
\u2013 Played four seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 6.1 PTS, 2.9 REB, 1.1 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 14.2 win shares, -1.7 box plus\/minus, 0.6 VORP<\/p>\n

#27. Derrick Williams
\u2013 Stacker score: 2.1
\u2013 Second overall pick in 2011
\u2013 Played two seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 8.9 PTS, 4.0 REB, 0.7 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 14.1 win shares, -1.6 box plus\/minus, 0.8 VORP<\/p>\n

#26. Craig Smith
\u2013 Stacker score: 2.5
\u2013 36th overall pick in 2006
\u2013 Played three seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 7.6 PTS, 3.9 REB, 0.8 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 16.0 win shares, -1.2 box plus\/minus, 1.4 VORP<\/p>\n

#25. Howard Eisley
\u2013 Stacker score: 2.9
\u2013 30th overall pick in 1994
\u2013 Career averages: 6.5 PTS, 1.7 REB, 3.5 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 19.5 win shares, -1.7 box plus\/minus, 1.3 VORP<\/p>\n

#24. Kris Dunn
\u2013 Stacker score: 3.0
\u2013 Fifth overall pick in 2016
\u2013 Played one season with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 7.6 PTS, 3.3 REB, 3.9 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 15.7 win shares, -1.0 box plus\/minus, 2.8 VORP<\/p>\n

#23. Nikola Pekovi\u0107
\u2013 Stacker score: 3.2
\u2013 31st overall pick in 2008
\u2013 Played six seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 12.6 PTS, 6.7 REB, 0.7 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 18.8 win shares, -0.7 box plus\/minus, 2.2 VORP<\/p>\n

#22. Wayne Ellington
\u2013 Stacker score: 3.5
\u2013 28th overall pick in 2009
\u2013 Played three seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 8.0 PTS, 2.1 REB, 1.1 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 21.1 win shares, -1.5 box plus\/minus, 2.2 VORP<\/p>\n

#21. Jaden McDaniels
\u2013 Stacker score: 3.5
\u2013 28th overall pick in 2020
\u2013 Played six seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 11.1 PTS, 4.2 REB, 1.7 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 23.1 win shares, -1.5 box plus\/minus, 1.5 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2023-24 All-Defensive<\/p>\n

#20. Corey Brewer
\u2013 Stacker score: 3.6
\u2013 Seventh overall pick in 2007
\u2013 Played four seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 8.7 PTS, 2.8 REB, 1.5 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 22.5 win shares, -1.6 box plus\/minus, 2.0 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2011 NBA Champ<\/p>\n

#19. Randy Foye
\u2013 Stacker score: 4.3
\u2013 Seventh overall pick in 2006
\u2013 Played three seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 10.3 PTS, 2.2 REB, 2.8 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 23.5 win shares, -1.2 box plus\/minus, 3.8 VORP<\/p>\n

#18. Nemanja Bjelica
\u2013 Stacker score: 4.4
\u2013 35th overall pick in 2010
\u2013 Played three seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 7.6 PTS, 4.6 REB, 1.8 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 20.0 win shares, 0.3 box plus\/minus, 5.4 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2022 NBA Champ<\/p>\n

#17. Isaiah Rider
\u2013 Stacker score: 4.5
\u2013 Fifth overall pick in 1993
\u2013 Played three seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 16.7 PTS, 3.8 REB, 2.7 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 22.8 win shares, -1.0 box plus\/minus, 4.5 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2001 NBA Champ<\/p>\n

#16. Gorgui Dieng
\u2013 Stacker score: 6.4
\u2013 21st overall pick in 2013
\u2013 Played six seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 7.3 PTS, 5.6 REB, 1.3 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 30.7 win shares, 0.2 box plus\/minus, 7.1 VORP<\/p>\n

#15. Rasho Nesterovi\u0107
\u2013 Stacker score: 6.8
\u2013 17th overall pick in 1998
\u2013 Played five seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 6.8 PTS, 5.1 REB, 1.0 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 39.9 win shares, -0.9 box plus\/minus, 5.0 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2005 NBA Champ<\/p>\n

#14. Andrew Wiggins
\u2013 Stacker score: 6.8
\u2013 First overall pick in 2014
\u2013 Played five seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 18.2 PTS, 4.5 REB, 2.3 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 37.6 win shares, -1.2 box plus\/minus, 5.8 VORP
\u2013 Hall of Fame probability: 0.1%
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2022 NBA Champ
\u2014 2014-15 ROY
\u2014 1x All Star<\/p>\n

#13. Pooh Richardson
\u2013 Stacker score: 7.0
\u2013 10th overall pick in 1989
\u2013 Played three seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 11.1 PTS, 2.8 REB, 6.5 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 26.7 win shares, 0.2 box plus\/minus, 10.5 VORP<\/p>\n

#12. Chandler Parsons
\u2013 Stacker score: 7.2
\u2013 38th overall pick in 2011
\u2013 Career averages: 12.7 PTS, 4.5 REB, 2.7 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 28.9 win shares, 1.1 box plus\/minus, 10.2 VORP<\/p>\n

#11. Tyus Jones
\u2013 Stacker score: 7.7
\u2013 24th overall pick in 2015
\u2013 Played four seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 7.3 PTS, 1.9 REB, 4.2 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 34.9 win shares, 0.4 box plus\/minus, 9.2 VORP
\u2013 Hall of Fame probability: 0.0%<\/p>\n

#10. Ricky Rubio
\u2013 Stacker score: 10.0
\u2013 Fifth overall pick in 2009
\u2013 Played seven seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 10.8 PTS, 4.1 REB, 7.4 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 42.3 win shares, 0.5 box plus\/minus, 13.3 VORP<\/p>\n

#9. Zach LaVine
\u2013 Stacker score: 10.0
\u2013 13th overall pick in 2014
\u2013 Played three seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 20.7 PTS, 4.0 REB, 3.9 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 38.6 win shares, 0.6 box plus\/minus, 14.6 VORP
\u2013 Hall of Fame probability: 0.2%
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2x All Star<\/p>\n

#8. Anthony Edwards
\u2013 Stacker score: 10.6
\u2013 First overall pick in 2020
\u2013 Played six seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 24.6 PTS, 5.2 REB, 4.1 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 31.4 win shares, 2.1 box plus\/minus, 15.8 VORP
\u2013 Hall of Fame probability: 6.5%
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2x All-NBA
\u2014 2025-26 AS MVP
\u2014 4x All Star<\/p>\n

#7. Wally Szczerbiak
\u2013 Stacker score: 11.5
\u2013 Sixth overall pick in 1999
\u2013 Played six seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 14.1 PTS, 4.0 REB, 2.4 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 53.3 win shares, 0.7 box plus\/minus, 13.6 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 1x All Star<\/p>\n

#6. Donyell Marshall
\u2013 Stacker score: 14.4
\u2013 Fourth overall pick in 1994
\u2013 Career averages: 11.2 PTS, 6.7 REB, 1.4 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 59.0 win shares, 1.1 box plus\/minus, 19.9 VORP<\/p>\n

#5. Christian Laettner
\u2013 Stacker score: 15.1
\u2013 Third overall pick in 1992
\u2013 Played three seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 12.8 PTS, 6.7 REB, 2.6 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 64.9 win shares, 1.0 box plus\/minus, 19.5 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 1x All Star<\/p>\n

#4. Stephon Marbury
\u2013 Stacker score: 21.7
\u2013 Fourth overall pick in 1996
\u2013 Played two seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 19.3 PTS, 3.0 REB, 7.6 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 77.5 win shares, 1.8 box plus\/minus, 30.7 VORP
\u2013 Hall of Fame probability: 7.0%
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2x All-NBA
\u2014 2x All Star<\/p>\n

#3. Kevin Love
\u2013 Stacker score: 36.2
\u2013 Fifth overall pick in 2008
\u2013 Played six seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 15.8 PTS, 9.8 REB, 2.3 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 96.0 win shares, 3.2 box plus\/minus, 36.7 VORP
\u2013 Hall of Fame probability: 67.6%
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2016 NBA Champ
\u2014 2010-11 TRB Champ
\u2014 2x All-NBA
\u2014 5x All Star<\/p>\n

#2. Karl-Anthony Towns
\u2013 Stacker score: 39.9
\u2013 First overall pick in 2015
\u2013 Played nine seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 22.8 PTS, 11.1 REB, 3.1 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 94.6 win shares, 4.3 box plus\/minus, 38.5 VORP
\u2013 Hall of Fame probability: 86.9%
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2026 NBA Champ
\u2014 2015-16 ROY
\u2014 3x All-NBA
\u2014 6x All Star<\/p>\n

#1. Kevin Garnett
\u2013 Stacker score: 74.7
\u2013 Fifth overall pick in 1995
\u2013 Played 13 seasons with Minnesota Timberwolves
\u2013 Career averages: 17.8 PTS, 10.0 REB, 3.7 AST
\u2013 Advanced statistics: 191.4 win shares, 5.6 box plus\/minus, 96.9 VORP
\u2013 Accolades
\u2014 2008 NBA Champ
\u2014 2003-04 MVP
\u2014 2007-08 Def. POY
\u2014 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee<\/p>\n

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