Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love and Karl-Anthony Towns are the 10 greatest Minnesota Timberwolves players of all time.
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One of the younger teams in the league, the Timberwolves, was founded in 1989 as an expansion team and competed in the Western Conference. Like many expansion teams, the team struggled in its early days. That being said, the 1995 NBA Draft changed all that and signed the best player in franchise history. From 1997 to 2004, the Timberwolves entered the playoffs for eight consecutive years.
The 2003-04 season remained the only season in which the Timberwolves won the Northwest Division title. At present, the Timberwolves have only one retirement number, and the greatest player in team history continues to hold on due to conflicts with the owner. Since 2004, the Timberwolves have only made the playoffs twice and the Western Conference Finals once. While the results didnāt generate praise from the Celtics or Lakers, the Timberwolves have some solid players in their franchise history.
They are the greatest Timberwolves in history.
honor award
Sam Mitchell
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Years in Minnesota: 10 (1989-1992, 1995-2002)
Minnesota: 9.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks
Honor: None
Sam Mitchell is a longtime great who joined the Timberwolves after a stint in the Continental Basketball Association. He played three years before playing for the Pacers. He then rejoined the Timberwolves and retired from the league in 2002. Mitchell is credited with helping Kevin Garnett develop after high school.
Mitchell found him on several records. Mitchell has the second-most games played (757) and minutes played (18,394). Mitchell ranks fourth in field goal percentage, free throw attempts and steals. His career total of 7,161 points also ranks fourth.
doug west
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Years in Minnesota: 9 (1989-1998)
Minnesota: 10.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 9.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks
Honor: None
West was selected by the Timberwolves with the 38th overall pick in the second round. When the Timberwolves were formed, West was one of the original players to start the teamās journey in the NBA. When West left the team in 1998, he was the last ārawā player on the founding roster.
West became the teamās starting guard in 1991 and later won the Slam Dunk Contest. His league career high is 19.1 points per game. West has the third most games (609). He also ranks on other lists, including fifth-most minutes played, field goal percentage and two-point percentage. West also ranks sixth in steals, eighth in assists and ninth in free throws made.
Christian Leitner
Image credit: Minnesota Timberwolves/Twitter
Years in Minnesota: 4 (1992-1996)
Minnesota: 17.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Career: 12.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks per game
Honors: All-Rookie First Team (1993)
In college, Laettner was one of the most coveted picks. At Duke, Laettner led the team to back-to-back NCAA championships, was named the Finals Four Most Outstanding Player in 1991, and was named the National Collegiate Player of the Year in 1992. The Timberwolves took Laettner with the No. 3 pick. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team with career highs of 18.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
That season was his best with the team. While Laettner won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics, he never made the All-Star team or led the Timberwolves to the heights they thought they would reach. That being said, his rebounding is his strong suit, and he ranks sixth in total rebounds and blocks. He just broke into the top 10 with 4,759 career points, good enough for ninth place.
Jefferson
Image credit: Kyle Terada ā USA TODAY Sports
Years in Minnesota: 3 (2007-2010)
Minnesota: 20.1 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Career: 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.2 blocks per game
Honor: None
When Jefferson was acquired by the Timberwolves in the 2007 offseason, he was a core player involved in the Kevin Garnett trade. Jefferson quickly signed a large contract extension with the team, but only played for three seasons. Jefferson was one of four players to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in his first season. The following year, Jefferson had a career season before a torn ACL ruined that year.
Despite his limited playing time, Jefferson finished seventh in offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding and total rebounding. His 300 blocks rank fifth. Jefferson also has the ninth-most field goal percentage and two-point percentage. Had he lasted longer, he might have been an All-Star.
10. Ricky Rubio
Image credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Years in Minnesota: 7 (2011-2017, 2020-2021)
Minnesota: 10.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 8.1 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Career: 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.1 blocks
Honors: All-Rookie First Team (2012)
It might be worth the wait for Rubio. When the team drafted Rubio with the 5th overall pick in 2009, the team had to wait for him to finish his time at FC Barcelona. Rubio joined the team in 2011 and played for the team until 2017. Rubio got off to a rocky start to his career, tearing his ACL in his rookie season, but he made the All-Rookie First Team with averages of 106 points and 8.2 assists in 41 games.
Rubio may be the best overall point guard in franchise history. Rubio has the second most assists in franchise history (3,424). He also has the second most steals (845). If he sticks around for a few more years, the assist record could easily be his.
9. Andrew Wiggins
Image credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Years in Minnesota: 6 (2014-2020)
Minnesota: 19.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Career: 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks per game
Honors: Rookie of the Year (2015), All-Rookie First Team (2015)
Wiggins was the Cavaliersā No. 1 pick in 2014. He was packaged in a trade with 2013 No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett for Kevin Love. The Cavaliers made it to four straight NBA Finals, but Wiggins was part of his historic moment. Wiggins won Rookie of the Year in 2015, a season in which Wiggins had 32 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in one game. It was the fourth time since 2000 that a player under the age of 20 has performed. In 2018, Wiggins helped the Timberwolves break the curse of the playoffs as a member of the teamās Big Three.
Wiggins was later traded to the Warriors in a deal that gave DāAngelo Russell the team. Wiggins would later win a title with the Warriors in 2022, but made his mark in Minnesota before he left. He has the fourth most minutes played (15,839) and the third most field goals (3,218). That includes the third-most 2-point and 3-point field goal percentages. Wigginsā 8,710 points are also the third most in team history.
8. Anthony Edwards
Photo credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Years in MN: 3 (2020-present)
Minnesota: 21.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Career: 21.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks per game
Honors: All-Star (2023), All-Rookie First Team (2021)
This is only Edwardsā third season, but heās already accomplished more throughout his tenure than some Timberwolves. Edwards was named to the 2023 All-Star team and, surprisingly, was the first overall backup in the ASG draft. Edwards is the former No. 1 pick in 2020. After averaging 19.3 points per game in his rookie season, he followed with 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals. Heās the future, and if he sticks around, he really has a chance to hold on to the all-time scoring record.
Edwards ranks 10th with 4,548 career points. Heās only played so many games to get this far, so who knows what else he can do in three more seasons? Of those field goal attempts, 562 for Edwards were 3-pointers. Heāll be battling Karl-Anthony Towns, the current record holder for 3-pointers, for years to come.
7. Tom Gugliotta
Image source: ESPN
Years in Minnesota: 4 (1994-1998)
Minnesota: 18.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Career: 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks per game
Honors: All-Star (1997)
After stints with the Bullets and Warriors, Gugliotta joined the Timberwolves in 1994. His best seasons were with the team. In the 1996-97 season, his career averages were 20.6 points and 8.7 rebounds. That was his only All-Star selection with the team. He averaged at least 20 points the following season, his last with Minnesota.
Gugliotta has the eight most defensive rebounds (1,452) and total rebounds (1,970). His 391 steals are also the ninth most in franchise history. At the end of the day, heās one of the few players in franchise history to make an All-Star Game, even though thatās just one appearance.
6. Jimmy Butler
Image credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Years in Minnesota: 2 (2017-2019)
Minnesota: 22.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Career: 18.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 points, 1.7 steals, 0.5 blocks per game
Honors: All-Star (2018), All-NBA Third Team (2018), All-Defensive Second Team (2018)
Minnesota fans may be pained by Butlerās exit, but Butler was the main reason the Timberwolves broke a 14-year playoff drought. Butler was traded from the Bulls for the draft rights to Zach LaVine, Kris Deng and Lauri Markkanen. In his first season, Butler made the All-NBA Third Team with averages of 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals. The Timberwolves were bounced off in the first round of the playoffs, but the point difference remained the same. It has been more than ten years since the team left.
Butler did more that season than any other modern Timberwolves team. He was one of the few players to be named to the All-NBA Team while wearing a Timberwolves jersey. Butlerās controversial exit in 2018 should dislike any fan of the franchise. However, you canāt ignore the fact that his arrival is the finishing factor for the team going into the playoffs.
5. Sam Cassell
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Years in Minnesota: 2 (2003-2005)
Minnesota: 17.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Career: 15.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.2 blocks
Honors: All-Star (2004), All-NBA Second Team (2004)
Cassell and Butler are in a similar situation. His time with the team may have been limited, but his tenure is historic in franchise history. Cassell joined the Timberwolves in 2003 and is one of the best players in the league. He averaged 19.8 points and 7.3 assists and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. The Timberwolves are the winningest team in the Western Conference with a record of 58 wins and 24 losses.
In his playoff debut, Cassell scored 40 points in a first-round victory. The Timberwolves reached the Finals against the Lakers. Cassellās back injury is still considered a crunch time. Many believe that the team could have reached the NBA Finals instead of losing in six games if Cassell hadnāt been injured.
4. Wally Sczerbiak
Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images
Years in Minnesota: 7 (1999-2006)
Minnesota: 15.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Career: 14.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Honors: All-Star (2002), All-Rookie First Team (2000)
Szczerbiak from Miami (OH) is the MAC Player of the Year. The Timberwolves selected him with the sixth overall pick. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team with an average of 11.6 points per game. He eventually grows into aā¦
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