The Minnesota Timberwolves did not enter this offseason needing another major roster overhaul. They entered it needing a cleaner plan behind Anthony Edwards. Instead, Minnesota spent the last year pushing more chips toward the present and thinning out one area it still needed to protect.
That is why the No. 28 pick matters more than a normal late first-rounder. The Wolves need that selection to find a cheap guard or two-way wing because the backcourt pipeline they once had is mostly gone.
Timberwolves’ Next Draft Pick Could Help Fix Minnesota’s Most Avoidable Roster Problem
Minnesota’s Problem Did Not Appear Overnight
The Timberwolves can explain some of their guard uncertainty with bad luck. Donte DiVincenzo’s Achilles tear changed the math for next season, and Mike Conley reaching free agency at 38 would have created questions even without the injury.
But Minnesota also helped create this problem.
The Wolves spent the last year moving away from their younger guard depth instead of adding to it. They traded Rob Dillingham, moved on from Conley before later bringing him back, and then used more assets to acquire Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline. The move improved the current rotation, but it also left Minnesota in a familiar spot. The Wolves again have to solve a long-term guard need while trying to win right now.
That is the avoidable part of this story. Minnesota did not simply lose a rotation guard to injury. It spent much of the last year treating the position as a short-term fix rather than a long-term pipeline. Now the bill has arrived at the same time Dosunmu needs a new contract, and DiVincenzo’s return timeline remains uncertain, which is why Dosunmu’s free agency matters so much to the shape of the rotation.
No. 28 Now Has to Do More Than Fill Out Bench
Late first-round picks usually matter in two ways for a team like Minnesota. They either become a cheap rotation player or a useful contract that can hold value. This pick may need to do both.
The Timberwolves are still built around expensive veterans and prime-age starters. Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid keep Minnesota in win-now mode. That is exactly why the front office cannot keep patching the guard rotation with older stopgaps or short-term trades. The team needs at least one inexpensive perimeter player who can survive real minutes next to that core and help address Edwards’ biggest problem.
That is also why the draft fit matters more than upside theater. Minnesota does not need another project that might be ready in three years. It needs a player who can either handle second-unit possessions, defend at the point of attack, or credibly play off Edwards without shrinking the floor and lighten Edwards’s offensive burden.
NBA.com’s draft profile for Minnesota points directly at point guard and combo guard help, and several draft previews have tied the Wolves to backcourt options at No. 28 for the same reason.
The Timberwolves Do Not Need a Star at 28
They need a player who solves one problem immediately and another later.
The immediate problem is simple. If DiVincenzo misses most or all of next season, and if Conley either leaves or declines further, Minnesota has too few clean answers behind Edwards and Dosunmu. Terrence Shannon Jr. can help on the wing, but that does not make him a natural organizer for bench offense. The Wolves still need another ballhandler with enough size to stay on the floor in playoff settings.
The second problem is financial. Minnesota is expected to keep Dosunmu, but that new deal will not be cheap. Michael Scotto reported that league executives project his market to be north of $18 million per year, possibly into the low $20 million range. Scotto also reported that Minnesota has gauged the trade value of Randle, DiVincenzo, and the No. 28 pick.
That reporting matters because it correctly frames the pick. This is not just about adding a rookie. It is about restoring a cheap layer of the roster after Minnesota used trades and veteran decisions to thin it out.
This Is the Part of the Roster the Timberwolves Can Still Control
The Wolves cannot undo DiVincenzo’s injury. They also cannot make Conley younger or guarantee that Dosunmu returns on a team-friendly contract.
They can control whether this offseason leaves them with one more short-term patch or one real answer.
If the Timberwolves use No. 28 on another frontcourt flyer or stash-style project, they risk carrying the same guard question into October that followed them into June. If they use it on a ready guard or a two-way wing who can defend, handle the ball, and survive next to stars, the front office can finally start rebuilding the part of the roster it helped empty.
That is why this pick is not just depth. It is Minnesota’s cleanest chance to fix a problem it created itself.
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
