5 worst NBA draft decisions by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 21st century
Minnesota Timberwolves have the number 1 pick in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft. Their previous number 1 pick was Karl-Anthony Towns back in 2015, a player who has now become the face of the franchise.
While the Timberwolves have had some success in picking the right players in NBA drafts, they've also made some terrible mistakes in the past that still haunts them. In this article, let's take a look at some of their biggest draft-night mistakes in the 21st century.
5 worst NBA draft decisions by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 21st century
The Minnesota Timberwolves have struggled for the most part of the 21st century. After the Kevin Garnett era in the early 2000s, the Timberwolves only made the NBA playoffs once in the last 16 years.
With just a few days left for the 2020 NBA draft, they'll be hoping to select a player who could go on to become a superstar and help them get back into playoff contention. On that note, let us take a look at five of their worst NBA draft decisions in the past two decades:
#5 Jamal Murray
In the recent 2016 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves picked Kris Dunn with their number 5 pick. However, he failed to transition into the big league and struggled throughout the year. He was sent back multiple times to the NBA G League and was traded the very next season to the Chicago Bulls.
The Timberwolves could have instead picked Buddy Hield or Jamal Murray, who were drafted at number 6 and number 7 respectively. Jamal Murray just had a historically significant season with the Denver Nuggets and was their best scorer during their run to the Western Conference Finals.
#4 DeMarcus Cousins
Here's another top 5 pick that the Minnesota Timberwolves messed up in the past. During the 2010 NBA draft, they picked Wesley Johnson over DeMarcus Cousins with their fourth pick.
While Johnson was traded after two ordinary seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cousins averaged 14.1 points and made it to the 2011 All-Rookie team in his first season. Cousins has since earned four All-Star appearances and has had multiple seasons averaging over 25 points with the Sacramento Kings.
Also read: 5 worst NBA draft decisions by the LA Clippers in the 21st century.