Minnesota Timberwolves
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Timberwolves (also commonly referred to as the T-Wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division
of the Western Conference
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA). Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor
. The Timberwolves played their home games in the Metrodome
during its inaugural season, before moving to the Target Center
in 1990.
Like most expansion teams, the Timberwolves struggled in their early years; but after the acquisition of Kevin Garnett
in the 1995 NBA Draft
, the team made the playoffs
eight consecutive times from 1997 to 2004. Despite losing in the first round in their first seven attempts, the Timberwolves won their first division title in 2004
and advanced to the Western Conference Finals
. Garnett was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player Award
for that season. The team has been in rebuilding mode since trading Garnett to the Boston Celtics
in 2007.
in 1989 for the first time since the Minneapolis Lakers
departed for Los Angeles in 1960. The NBA had granted one of its four new expansion teams on April 22, 1987 (the others being the Orlando Magic
, Charlotte Hornets, and the Miami Heat
) to original owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner to begin play for the 1989–90 season. (There were two American Basketball Association
franchises, the Minnesota Muskies
, in 1967–68, and the Minnesota Pipers, in 1968–69.) The franchise conducted a "name the team" contest http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/history/suggested_nicknames.html and eventually selected two finalists "Timberwolves and "Polars" in December 1986. The team then asked the 842 city councils in Minnesota to select the winner as the "Timberwolves" prevailed by nearly 2 to 1. The team was officially named the "Minnesota Timberwolves" on January 23, 1987. Minnesota is home to the largest population of timberwolves
in the lower 48 states.
on the road 106–94. Five days later, they would make their home debut at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
losing to the Chicago Bulls
96–84. Just two nights later the Wolves would get their first win, beating the Philadelphia 76ers
at home 125–118 on November 10. The Timberwolves, led by Tony Campbell
with 23.2 ppg, went on to a 22–60 record, finishing in 6th place in the Midwest Division. Playing in the cavernous Metrodome, the expansion Timberwolves drew over 1 million fans (an NBA record for attendance) including the third-largest crowd in NBA
history at 49,551 on April 17, 1990, which saw the Timberwolves lose to the Denver Nuggets
99–88 in the final home game of the season.
The next season the team moved into their permanent home, the Target Center
, and improved somewhat, finishing 29–53. However, they fired their head coach Bill Musselman
. They fared far worse in the 1991–92 NBA season under Musselman's successor, ex-Celtics
coach Jimmy Rodgers
, finishing with an NBA-worst 15–67 record. Looking to turn the corner, the Wolves hired former Detroit Pistons
general manager Jack McCloskey
to the same position, but even with notable first-round selections such as Christian Laettner
and Isaiah Rider, the Timberwolves were unable to duplicate McCloskey's "Detroit Bad Boys" success in the Twin Cities, finishing 19–63 and 20–62 the next two seasons. One of the few highlights from this era was when the Target Center served as host of the 1994 All-Star Game
where Rider won the Slam Dunk Contest
with his between-the-leg "East Bay Funk Dunk".
As winning basketball continued to elude the Wolves, Ratner and Wolfenson nearly sold the team to New Orleans interests
in 1994 before NBA owners rejected the proposed move. Eventually, Glen Taylor
bought the team and named Kevin McHale
general manager. The Wolves finished 21–61 in 1994–95, and the future looked bleak. However, a change was on the horizon.
in the first round (5th overall), and Flip Saunders
was named head coach. Christian Laettner
was traded along with Sean Rooks
to the Atlanta Hawks
for Andrew Lang
and Spud Webb
. Also, first-round pick Donyell Marshall
was traded the previous season for Golden State Warriors
' forward Tom Gugliotta
. These trades paved the way for rookie Kevin Garnett to become the go-to player inside. Garnett went on to average 10.4 ppg in his rookie season as the Wolves finished in 5th place in the Midwest Division, with a 26–56 record.
In 1996, the Wolves added another star player in the draft, swapping Ray Allen
to the Milwaukee Bucks
for the rights to Stephon Marbury
, the 4th overall pick. The addition of Marbury had a positive effect on the entire team, as Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta
became the first Wolves to be selected to the All-Star team. Gugliotta and Garnett led the Timberwolves in scoring as the team made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a record of 40–42. However, in the playoffs
the Timberwolves made a quick exit as they were swept by the Houston Rockets
in 3 straight games. The T-Wolves also decided to change their image by changing their team logo and colors, adding black to the team colors and replacing the original logo with a logo featuring a snarling wolf looming over a field of trees. It was also during the season that Minnesota began to play on a parquet floor.
In 1997, Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury established themselves as two of the brightest rising stars in the NBA
. Garnett averaged 18.5 ppg and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Marbury averaged 17.7 ppg and dished out 8.6 assists per game. Despite losing leading scorer Tom Gugliotta
for half the season the Timberwolves went on to post their first winning season at 45–37 making the playoffs for the 2nd straight season. After dropping Game 1 on the road to the Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs the Timberwolves earned their first postseason win in Game 2 winning in Seattle 98–93. As the series shifted to Minnesota the Timberwolves had an opportunity to pull off the upset as they won Game 3 by a score of 98–90. However, the Wolves dropped Game 4 at home as the Sonics went on to win the series in 5 games.
In 1998, a year after signing Kevin Garnett to an unprecedented 6-year, $126 million contract, the Timberwolves were used as the poster child of irresponsible spending as the NBA endured a 4-month lockout that wiped out much of the season. With an already cap-heavy payroll the Wolves were forced to let Tom Gugliotta walk away in part because they wanted to save money in order to sign Stephon Marbury to a long-term contract and in part because Tom Gugliotta did not want to play with Stephon Marbury. This move proved unsuccessful, however, as Stephon Marbury wanted to be the biggest star on a team and subsequently forced an in-season trade by refusing a contract extension. In the 3-team midseason deal that sent Marbury to the New Jersey Nets
the Wolves got Terrell Brandon
in return and a first round draft pick in the 1999 draft (which turned out to be the sixth pick). The Wolves made the playoffs for the 3rd straight season by finishing in 4th place with a 25–25 record. In the playoffs the Timberwolves were beaten by the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs
in 4 games.
with the sixth pick in the draft. He had a solid season finishing 3rd on the team in scoring with 11.6 ppg. Led by Kevin Garnett, who averaged 22.9 ppg and 11.8 rebounds per game, the Timberwolves enjoyed their first 50-win season finishing in 3rd place with a solid record of 50–32. However, in the playoffs the Wolves fell in the first round again, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers
in 4 games.
Guard Malik Sealy
was killed in a car accident in the summer of 2000 by a drunk driver. Souksangouane Phengsene, was driving the wrong way down the freeway Sealy was driving on, causing the fatal crash in his Land Rover. Sealy's number has since been retired, with the number 2 jersey memorialized with Sealy's name on a banner hanging from the rafters of Target Center. The drunk driver was convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. He was previously arrested for drunk driving in Iowa in 1997 and has since been arrested twice more for driving while intoxicated in 2006 and 2008.
Also in that season, a free agent deal signed by Joe Smith was voided by the NBA, who ruled that the Timberwolves violated proper procedure in signing the contract. The league stripped the T-Wolves of five draft picks (first round 2001–05), it was eventually reduced to three first round picks (2001, 02, 04), fined them $3.5 million and suspended general manager Kevin McHale for one year. (Smith would eventually sign with the Detroit Pistons
before re-signing with the Wolves in 2001.) Despite the trouble the Wolves made the playoffs for the 5th straight season with a 47–35 record. In the playoffs the Wolves were eliminated in the first round again by the San Antonio Spurs
in 4 games in the spring of 2001.
With the arrival of newcomers Gary Trent
, Loren Woods
, Maurice Evans
and the return of Joe Smith; the Wolves started the season on fire by winning their first six games and a franchise-best 30–10 start. One of the wins included a franchise record 53 points over Chicago
in November. They would finish with a 50–32 record, their second ever 50 win season that was highlighted by another All-Star appearance by Garnett and a breakout season by Wally Szczerbiak
, who earned his first All-Star appearance. Once again, Minnesota lost in the first round of the playoffs, getting swept by the Dallas Mavericks
in three straight.
2002–03 seemed to look up for the Wolves. Kevin Garnett
had a great season, finishing second in MVP
voting while averaging a solid 23.0 ppg and 13.4 rebounds per game as the Timberwolves finish in 3rd place with a 51–31 record. As a result, they were awarded home court advantage for the first time when facing the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers
. After being blown out at home in Game 1, the Timberwolves had a chance to take a 3–1 series lead as they led heading into the 4th quarter of Game 4 in Los Angeles. However, the Lakers came back to win the game on the way to winning the series in six games, and the Timberwolves were eliminated in the first round for the 7th straight year.
, Sam Cassell
and embattled guard Latrell Sprewell
.
During the 2003–04 NBA season, the Timberwolves became the team to beat in the Western Conference. They finished the season as the top seed in the Western Conference with a record of 58–24, and beat the Denver Nuggets
and Sacramento Kings
in the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs. Kevin Garnett leapt upon the scorer's table upon the completion of Game 7 in the Sacremento series, one of the more defining moments in franchise playoff history. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves' run ended in the Western Conference finals as the team lost to the Lakers, the previous Minnesota franchise. Due to an injured hip, Sam Cassell played only sparingly during the series with the Lakers. Kevin Garnett finally earned his first MVP award with 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
In the 2004–05 season, the Wolves kept the same team from the previous season. The team was plagued with contract disputes and the complaining of key players Latrell Sprewell
, Sam Cassell
, and Troy Hudson
. Coach Flip Saunders
was replaced in midseason by GM Kevin McHale
, who took over the team for the rest of the season. The Timberwolves finished 44–38, and missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years. They missed the playoffs by 1 game, to the Memphis Grizzlies
.
During the 2005 offseason, Kevin McHale
and the Wolves started their search for a head coach. McHale interviewed Seattle
assistant coach Dwane Casey
, San Antonio Spurs
assistant P.J. Carlesimo, former coach John Lucas and Wolves assistants Randy Wittman
, Sidney Lowe
and Jerry Sichting
, among others.
On June 17, 2005, the Timberwolves hired Dwane Casey
as the new head coach. This was Casey's first head coaching job. He was the Wolves' 7th head coach in their 16-year history.
In the 2005 Draft
, the Timberwolves selected Rashad McCants
, a shooting guard from North Carolina
with the 14th overall pick of the 1st round. The Timberwolves also selected Bracey Wright
, a guard from Indiana with the 17th pick of the 2nd round (47th overall).
During the offseason, they traded All-Star Sam Cassell
and a protected future first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers
for Marko Jaric
and Lionel Chalmers
. They also signed free agent Nikoloz Tskitishvili
.
On January 26, 2006, the Wolves traded forward Wally Szczerbiak, centers Dwayne Jones and Michael Olowokandi, and a future first-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics
. In return, they received forward/guard Ricky Davis
, center Mark Blount
, forward Justin Reed
, guard Marcus Banks
, and two second-round draft picks. In a separate trade on the same day, the Timberwolves traded Nikoloz Tskitishvili
to the Phoenix Suns
for a 2006 second-round draft pick. The Timberwolves finished 33–49, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
In the 2006 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected future Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy
with the 6th overall pick, Craig Smith
with the 36th pick, Bobby Jones with the 37th pick and center Loukas Mavrokefalidis
with the 57th pick. The Timberwolves traded Brandon Roy to the Portland Trail Blazers for Randy Foye and cash considerations. The Timberwolves then traded forward Bobby Jones to the Philadelphia 76ers for a 2007 second-round pick and cash.
On January 23, GM Kevin McHale fired head coach Dwane Casey
and replaced him with Randy Wittman
. McHale explained in a news conference that it was inconsistency by Casey that led to the firing. Casey had compiled an overall record of 53–69. They finished the 2006–07 season with a record of 32–50, allowing them to keep their 2007 first-round pick.
to the Boston Celtics
for Al Jefferson
, Theo Ratliff
, Gerald Green
, Sebastian Telfair
, Ryan Gomes
, two first-round draft picks, and cash considerations. This is the largest combination of players and picks ever traded for a single player in NBA history. Garnett and the Celtics went on to win the 2008 NBA Finals
in six games over the Los Angeles Lakers.
That summer, the Timberwolves traded Mike James
and Justin Reed
to the Houston Rockets
for Juwan Howard
. In October of the same year, the Timberwolves waived Howard after reaching a contractual buyout agreement, worth $10 million of roughly $14.25 million which Minnesota would have owed him. The team also traded Ricky Davis
and Mark Blount
to the Miami Heat
in exchange for the Heat's Antoine Walker
, Michael Doleac
, Wayne Simien
, and a 2008 protected first-round draft pick.
In the 2007 NBA Draft
the Timberwolves selected Corey Brewer
and Chris Richard
from the two-time NCAA national champion Florida Gators
.
Minnesota began the NBA preseason with two games in London and Istanbul
, as part of NBA Europe Live 2007. On October 10, The Wolves lost to Kevin Garnett
and the revamped Boston Celtics
92–81. To start the season, the Wolves began 0–5 before finally ending the drought with a home win over Sacramento
. That drought also brought about speculation of the possible dismissal of current coach Randy Wittman. The youngest team in the NBA began adjusting to life after trading franchise star Kevin Garnett to Boston, meanwhile playing without budding talent Randy Foye for the first half of the season. Guards Sebastian Telfair and Marko Jaric were deputized as starting point guards during Foye's injury absence. The Timberwolves finished the season 22–60. On a handful of occasions during the season, the team showed flashes of its potential in wins or very close contests with top-tier teams.
In the 2008 NBA Draft
, the Timberwolves selected O.J. Mayo out of Southern California with the third overall pick. When the draft concluded, the Timberwolves traded Mayo, Antoine Walker
, Greg Buckner
, and Marko Jaric
to the Memphis Grizzlies
in exchange for the 5th overall pick Kevin Love
, Mike Miller, Jason Collins
, and Brian Cardinal
in a move that Jim Stack
called, "a deal we couldn’t pass up.”
In 2008, in celebration of the franchise's twentieth anniversary, the team unveiled a new logo and uniforms. The new designs first appeared in the first preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on October 14, 2008. They also refurbished the floor at Target Center, returning to the traditional floor pattern and added touches of varnish while exposing most of the hardwood.
On December 8, 2008, after a 23-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers
that dropped the team to 4–15, the Timberwolves fired head coach Randy Wittman and Kevin McHale took over. McHale also relinquished his vice president of basketball operations duties. It was unclear whether McHale's future with the team was dependent on the success or progress of the team which he had put together over the previous four years.
Those questions seemed to be answered when the Timberwolves went 10–4 for the month of January, giving McHale the coach of the month honors. But on February 8, 2009, the team's main star Al Jefferson
tore his ACL
in his right knee in a game at New Orleans, sidelining him for the rest of the season. At the time of the injury, Jefferson was having his best season to date, averaging 23 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Without Jefferson and Corey Brewer (who also suffered a season-ending injury), the Wolves sputtered, to finish with a 24–58 record.
On June 17, 2009, new president of basketball operations David Kahn
announced that McHale would not be returning to the team as head coach. Kahn did not give a specific reason for McHale's dismissal only saying "this is going to be a transition period." For his part, McHale said he wanted to come back but was not offered a contract. Later, in August, the Timberwolves announced the signing of Kurt Rambis
, then an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers
, to a four-year, $8 million contract to be their new head coach. With Kurt Rambis, the team stumbled to the second worst record in the League, behind the New Jersey Nets
. The Timberwolves yielded only 15 victories.
forward Michael Beasley
the second pick from the 2008 NBA Draft
.
In a locally untelevised game on November 12, 2010, Kevin Love grabbed an astounding franchise-record 31 rebounds and scored 31 points, the NBA's first 30–30 game in 28 years.
Love was later named an All Star for the 2010–2011 NBA season, the franchise's first All Star selection since Kevin Garnett in 2007. Love would later break Garnett's team record of 37 straight double-doubles on February 8, 2011 in a win over the Houston Rockets
. On March 8, 2011, Love acquired his 52nd straight double-double, surpassing the mark of Moses Malone
for the most consecutive double-doubles since the NBA/ABA merger in a win over the Indiana Pacers
. In October, 2011, Love was ranked 16th among active players by ESPN
.
On February 21, 2011, Corey Brewer
and Kosta Koufos
were traded to the New York Knicks
and Denver Nuggets
respectively for Knicks Anthony Randolph
and Eddy Curry
(plus $3 million in cash from New York and a 2015 second-round draft pick from Denver) as part of a larger trade that sent all-star Carmelo Anthony
from Denver to New York.
On the downside, with a 121–102 loss to the Houston Rockets, the Timberwolves fell to 17–65, finishing last in the Western Conference for the second straight year. They also clinched the 2010-11 NBA season's worst record. During the offseason, the Timberwolves were finally able to bring 2009
fifth overall pick Ricky Rubio
over from Spain. In the 2011 NBA Draft
, with the second overall pick, the Timberwolves selected Derrick Williams
out of Arizona
and The Minnesota Timberwolves traded guard Jonny Flynn
and the draft rights to Donatas Motiejunas
(No. 20) to the Houston Rockets
for center Brad Miller
, the draft rights to Nikola Mirotic
(No. 23), Chandler Parsons
(No. 38) and a future first-round pick. The Timberwolves traded Mirotic’s rights to the Chicago Bulls
for the rights to Norris Cole
(No. 28) and Malcolm Lee
(No. 43). The Timberwolves then sold the rights to Parsons back to the Rockets. The Timberwolves traded Norris Cole (No. 28) to the Miami Heat
for the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanovic
(No. 31), a future second-round pick and cash considerations then later Bogdanovic traded to New Jersey Nets
For a future second-round and cash. The Trail Blazers traded the draft rights to Tanguy Ngombo
to the Timberwolves.
On July 12, 2011, Kurt Rambis
was fired as coach of the team after compiling a 32–132 record in two seasons with the team. On September 13, 2011, the team annouced that they had hired Rick Adelman
to be the team's new head coach.
Arenas
NBA Most Improved Player
All-NBA First Team
All-NBA Second Team
All-NBA Third Team
NBA All-Defensive First Team
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
NBA Rookie First Team
NBA Rookie Second Team
1130 AM. KFAN (known as WDGY until 1991) has been the flagship since the team's inception, except for a brief two year hiatus to KLCI
BOB 106.1 FM for the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons. Alan Horton serves as the team's radio play-by-play announcer. WCCO-AM
will become the flagship station in 2011–12
My 29 and Fox Sports North. Broadcasters are Tom Hanneman
and Jim Petersen
.
Northwest Division (NBA)
The Northwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah JazzThe division was...
of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor
Glen Taylor
Glen A. Taylor is an American businessman who is the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team, owner of the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team, and a former member of the Minnesota Senate.-Biography:...
. The Timberwolves played their home games in the Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
during its inaugural season, before moving to the Target Center
Target Center
The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
in 1990.
Like most expansion teams, the Timberwolves struggled in their early years; but after the acquisition of Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
in the 1995 NBA Draft
1995 NBA Draft
The 1995 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1995 at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies...
, the team made the playoffs
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
eight consecutive times from 1997 to 2004. Despite losing in the first round in their first seven attempts, the Timberwolves won their first division title in 2004
2003-04 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
and advanced to the Western Conference Finals
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
. Garnett was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player Award
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
for that season. The team has been in rebuilding mode since trading Garnett to the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in 2007.
NBA expansion
NBA basketball returned to the Twin CitiesTwin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
in 1989 for the first time since the Minneapolis Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
departed for Los Angeles in 1960. The NBA had granted one of its four new expansion teams on April 22, 1987 (the others being the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
, Charlotte Hornets, and the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
) to original owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner to begin play for the 1989–90 season. (There were two American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
franchises, the Minnesota Muskies
Minnesota Muskies
The Minnesota Muskies were a charter member of the American Basketball Association, born with the league's creation on February 2, 1967. L.P. Shields and Fred Jefferson bought in to create the franchise for $30,000...
, in 1967–68, and the Minnesota Pipers, in 1968–69.) The franchise conducted a "name the team" contest http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/history/suggested_nicknames.html and eventually selected two finalists "Timberwolves and "Polars" in December 1986. The team then asked the 842 city councils in Minnesota to select the winner as the "Timberwolves" prevailed by nearly 2 to 1. The team was officially named the "Minnesota Timberwolves" on January 23, 1987. Minnesota is home to the largest population of timberwolves
Great Plains Wolf
The Great Plains wolf , also known as the Buffalo wolf, is the most common subspecies of the gray wolf in the continental United States. It currently inhabits the western Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada...
in the lower 48 states.
1989–1995: Early years
The Timberwolves debuted on November 3, 1989, losing to the Seattle SuperSonicsSeattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
on the road 106–94. Five days later, they would make their home debut at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
losing to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
96–84. Just two nights later the Wolves would get their first win, beating the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
at home 125–118 on November 10. The Timberwolves, led by Tony Campbell
Tony Campbell
Anthony Campbell is a retired American NBA basketball player.Campbell played high school basketball at Teaneck High School in Teaneck. A 6'7" small forward out of Ohio State University, Campbell was selected 20th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1984 NBA Draft...
with 23.2 ppg, went on to a 22–60 record, finishing in 6th place in the Midwest Division. Playing in the cavernous Metrodome, the expansion Timberwolves drew over 1 million fans (an NBA record for attendance) including the third-largest crowd in NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
history at 49,551 on April 17, 1990, which saw the Timberwolves lose to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
99–88 in the final home game of the season.
The next season the team moved into their permanent home, the Target Center
Target Center
The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
, and improved somewhat, finishing 29–53. However, they fired their head coach Bill Musselman
Bill Musselman
William Clifford Musselman was an American basketball coach in the NCAA, the ABA, the WBA, the CBA, and the NBA. He was a fiercely intense coach who once was quoted as saying "defeat is worse than death, because you have to live with defeat."-Early life:Musselman was the second of five children....
. They fared far worse in the 1991–92 NBA season under Musselman's successor, ex-Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
coach Jimmy Rodgers
Jimmy Rodgers (basketball)
James Donald "Jimmy" Rodgers is an American former basketball coach. He coached the Boston Celtics for two seasons, and the Minnesota Timberwolves for nearly a season and a half...
, finishing with an NBA-worst 15–67 record. Looking to turn the corner, the Wolves hired former Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
general manager Jack McCloskey
Jack McCloskey
John William "Jack" McCloskey is a retired American basketball player, coach and executive in the NBA. He served in World War II as a lieutenant commanding a landing ship for Marines. He played one game for the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1953 season, scoring 6 points in that game...
to the same position, but even with notable first-round selections such as Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
and Isaiah Rider, the Timberwolves were unable to duplicate McCloskey's "Detroit Bad Boys" success in the Twin Cities, finishing 19–63 and 20–62 the next two seasons. One of the few highlights from this era was when the Target Center served as host of the 1994 All-Star Game
1994 NBA All-Star Game
The 1994 NBA All-Star Game was the 44th edition of the All-Star Game. The event was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The East All-Stars won the game with the score of 127–118. Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls was voted MVP of the game.-Eastern All-Stars:...
where Rider won the Slam Dunk Contest
Slam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...
with his between-the-leg "East Bay Funk Dunk".
As winning basketball continued to elude the Wolves, Ratner and Wolfenson nearly sold the team to New Orleans interests
Minnesota Timberwolves failed relocation to New Orleans
The Minnesota Timberwolves relocation to New Orleans was a failed 1994 effort to relocate the National Basketball Association franchise Minnesota Timberwolves to New Orleans, Louisiana...
in 1994 before NBA owners rejected the proposed move. Eventually, Glen Taylor
Glen Taylor
Glen A. Taylor is an American businessman who is the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team, owner of the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team, and a former member of the Minnesota Senate.-Biography:...
bought the team and named Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
general manager. The Wolves finished 21–61 in 1994–95, and the future looked bleak. However, a change was on the horizon.
1995–2007: The Kevin Garnett era
In the 1995 draft, the Timberwolves selected high school standout Kevin GarnettKevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
in the first round (5th overall), and Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
was named head coach. Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
was traded along with Sean Rooks
Sean Rooks
Sean Lester Rooks is a retired American basketball player who played in the NBA from 1992 to 2004. A 6'10" center from Fontana High School in Fontana, California and the University of Arizona, Rooks was drafted in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks...
to the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
for Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang (basketball)
Andrew Charles Lang Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.After a four-year career at the University of Arkansas, Lang was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 3rd pick in the 2nd round of the 1988 NBA draft. He quickly developed a reputation as a proficient...
and Spud Webb
Spud Webb
Anthony Jerome Webb , also known as Spud Webb, is a retired American NBA professional basketball point guard most notable for winning a slam dunk contest despite being one of the shortest NBA players in the history of the league...
. Also, first-round pick Donyell Marshall
Donyell Marshall
Donyell Lamar Marshall is a retired American professional basketball player, at the small forward and power forward positions. During his extensive NBA career, he played with eight different teams...
was traded the previous season for Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
' forward Tom Gugliotta
Tom Gugliotta
Thomas James Gugliotta is a former American professional basketball player....
. These trades paved the way for rookie Kevin Garnett to become the go-to player inside. Garnett went on to average 10.4 ppg in his rookie season as the Wolves finished in 5th place in the Midwest Division, with a 26–56 record.
In 1996, the Wolves added another star player in the draft, swapping Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
for the rights to Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
, the 4th overall pick. The addition of Marbury had a positive effect on the entire team, as Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta
Tom Gugliotta
Thomas James Gugliotta is a former American professional basketball player....
became the first Wolves to be selected to the All-Star team. Gugliotta and Garnett led the Timberwolves in scoring as the team made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a record of 40–42. However, in the playoffs
1997 NBA Playoffs
The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
the Timberwolves made a quick exit as they were swept by the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in 3 straight games. The T-Wolves also decided to change their image by changing their team logo and colors, adding black to the team colors and replacing the original logo with a logo featuring a snarling wolf looming over a field of trees. It was also during the season that Minnesota began to play on a parquet floor.
In 1997, Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury established themselves as two of the brightest rising stars in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Garnett averaged 18.5 ppg and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Marbury averaged 17.7 ppg and dished out 8.6 assists per game. Despite losing leading scorer Tom Gugliotta
Tom Gugliotta
Thomas James Gugliotta is a former American professional basketball player....
for half the season the Timberwolves went on to post their first winning season at 45–37 making the playoffs for the 2nd straight season. After dropping Game 1 on the road to the Seattle Supersonics in the playoffs the Timberwolves earned their first postseason win in Game 2 winning in Seattle 98–93. As the series shifted to Minnesota the Timberwolves had an opportunity to pull off the upset as they won Game 3 by a score of 98–90. However, the Wolves dropped Game 4 at home as the Sonics went on to win the series in 5 games.
In 1998, a year after signing Kevin Garnett to an unprecedented 6-year, $126 million contract, the Timberwolves were used as the poster child of irresponsible spending as the NBA endured a 4-month lockout that wiped out much of the season. With an already cap-heavy payroll the Wolves were forced to let Tom Gugliotta walk away in part because they wanted to save money in order to sign Stephon Marbury to a long-term contract and in part because Tom Gugliotta did not want to play with Stephon Marbury. This move proved unsuccessful, however, as Stephon Marbury wanted to be the biggest star on a team and subsequently forced an in-season trade by refusing a contract extension. In the 3-team midseason deal that sent Marbury to the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
the Wolves got Terrell Brandon
Terrell Brandon
Thomas Terrell Brandon is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . Terrell was known throughout his 10-year career for his passing ability and stealing skills.-Early life:...
in return and a first round draft pick in the 1999 draft (which turned out to be the sixth pick). The Wolves made the playoffs for the 3rd straight season by finishing in 4th place with a 25–25 record. In the playoffs the Timberwolves were beaten by the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in 4 games.
1999–2003
In 1999, the Timberwolves drafted Wally SzczerbiakWally Szczerbiak
Walter Robert "Wally" Szczerbiak is an American former professional basketball player.-Early life:Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father Walter was playing for Real Madrid, and spent much of his childhood in Europe during his father's playing career...
with the sixth pick in the draft. He had a solid season finishing 3rd on the team in scoring with 11.6 ppg. Led by Kevin Garnett, who averaged 22.9 ppg and 11.8 rebounds per game, the Timberwolves enjoyed their first 50-win season finishing in 3rd place with a solid record of 50–32. However, in the playoffs the Wolves fell in the first round again, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
in 4 games.
Guard Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30...
was killed in a car accident in the summer of 2000 by a drunk driver. Souksangouane Phengsene, was driving the wrong way down the freeway Sealy was driving on, causing the fatal crash in his Land Rover. Sealy's number has since been retired, with the number 2 jersey memorialized with Sealy's name on a banner hanging from the rafters of Target Center. The drunk driver was convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. He was previously arrested for drunk driving in Iowa in 1997 and has since been arrested twice more for driving while intoxicated in 2006 and 2008.
Also in that season, a free agent deal signed by Joe Smith was voided by the NBA, who ruled that the Timberwolves violated proper procedure in signing the contract. The league stripped the T-Wolves of five draft picks (first round 2001–05), it was eventually reduced to three first round picks (2001, 02, 04), fined them $3.5 million and suspended general manager Kevin McHale for one year. (Smith would eventually sign with the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
before re-signing with the Wolves in 2001.) Despite the trouble the Wolves made the playoffs for the 5th straight season with a 47–35 record. In the playoffs the Wolves were eliminated in the first round again by the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in 4 games in the spring of 2001.
With the arrival of newcomers Gary Trent
Gary Trent
Gary Dajaun Trent is an American retired professional basketball player.Trent played his high school basketball at Hamilton Township High School in Columbus, Ohio...
, Loren Woods
Loren Woods
Loren Woods is an American professional basketball player, currently playing with Zob Ahan Isfahan BC in the Iranian Basketball Super League...
, Maurice Evans
Maurice Evans (basketball)
Maurice Eugene Evans is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. A 6 ft 5 in guard/forward, Evans weighs 220 lb...
and the return of Joe Smith; the Wolves started the season on fire by winning their first six games and a franchise-best 30–10 start. One of the wins included a franchise record 53 points over Chicago
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in November. They would finish with a 50–32 record, their second ever 50 win season that was highlighted by another All-Star appearance by Garnett and a breakout season by Wally Szczerbiak
Wally Szczerbiak
Walter Robert "Wally" Szczerbiak is an American former professional basketball player.-Early life:Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father Walter was playing for Real Madrid, and spent much of his childhood in Europe during his father's playing career...
, who earned his first All-Star appearance. Once again, Minnesota lost in the first round of the playoffs, getting swept by the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in three straight.
2002–03 seemed to look up for the Wolves. Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
had a great season, finishing second in MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
voting while averaging a solid 23.0 ppg and 13.4 rebounds per game as the Timberwolves finish in 3rd place with a 51–31 record. As a result, they were awarded home court advantage for the first time when facing the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. After being blown out at home in Game 1, the Timberwolves had a chance to take a 3–1 series lead as they led heading into the 4th quarter of Game 4 in Los Angeles. However, the Lakers came back to win the game on the way to winning the series in six games, and the Timberwolves were eliminated in the first round for the 7th straight year.
2003–2007 Garnett, Sprewell and Cassel
In 2003, the Timberwolves made two strong offseason moves, trading away forward Joe Smith and injured guard Terrell Brandon in a multi-player deal for Ervin JohnsonErvin Johnson
Ervin Johnson is an American former professional basketball center who played in the National Basketball Association from 1993 to 2006.-Professional career:...
, Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
and embattled guard Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Fontaine Sprewell is a former American professional basketball player. During his time as a professional, Sprewell was named to the NBA All-Star game during four seasons, and played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves...
.
During the 2003–04 NBA season, the Timberwolves became the team to beat in the Western Conference. They finished the season as the top seed in the Western Conference with a record of 58–24, and beat the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
and Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs. Kevin Garnett leapt upon the scorer's table upon the completion of Game 7 in the Sacremento series, one of the more defining moments in franchise playoff history. Unfortunately, the Timberwolves' run ended in the Western Conference finals as the team lost to the Lakers, the previous Minnesota franchise. Due to an injured hip, Sam Cassell played only sparingly during the series with the Lakers. Kevin Garnett finally earned his first MVP award with 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
Latrell Sprewell
Latrell Fontaine Sprewell is a former American professional basketball player. During his time as a professional, Sprewell was named to the NBA All-Star game during four seasons, and played for the Golden State Warriors, the New York Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves...
, Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
, and Troy Hudson
Troy Hudson
Troy Hudson is a former American professional basketball player at the point guard position.-Basketball career:After a college career at the University of Missouri and Southern Illinois University that finished in his junior year,Hudson was not selected in the 1997 NBA draft, and played his first...
. Coach Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
was replaced in midseason by GM Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
, who took over the team for the rest of the season. The Timberwolves finished 44–38, and missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years. They missed the playoffs by 1 game, to the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
.
During the 2005 offseason, Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
and the Wolves started their search for a head coach. McHale interviewed Seattle
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
assistant coach Dwane Casey
Dwane Casey
Dwane Casey is a former NCAA basketball player and coach who currently is a head coach in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors.-Early years:Casey was born in Morganfield, Kentucky, and graduated from Union County High School in 1975....
, San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
assistant P.J. Carlesimo, former coach John Lucas and Wolves assistants Randy Wittman
Randy Wittman
Randy Scott Wittman is a retired American basketball player, in the guard position, and former coach of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-College:...
, Sidney Lowe
Sidney Lowe
Sidney Rochell Lowe is an American basketball coach and is currently an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz. He is a former NBA player and head coach, and has served as the head coach at North Carolina State University,.-Biography:Lowe began his career at DeMatha Catholic High School in...
and Jerry Sichting
Jerry Sichting
Jerry Lee Sichting is a retired American basketball player in the NBA.-1972-1975:Jerry Sichting, the 6'1", 175 lb guard, attended Martinsville High School, located in Martinsville, Indiana...
, among others.
On June 17, 2005, the Timberwolves hired Dwane Casey
Dwane Casey
Dwane Casey is a former NCAA basketball player and coach who currently is a head coach in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors.-Early years:Casey was born in Morganfield, Kentucky, and graduated from Union County High School in 1975....
as the new head coach. This was Casey's first head coaching job. He was the Wolves' 7th head coach in their 16-year history.
In the 2005 Draft
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
, the Timberwolves selected Rashad McCants
Rashad McCants
Rashad Dion McCants is an American professional basketball player.-High school career:...
, a shooting guard from North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
with the 14th overall pick of the 1st round. The Timberwolves also selected Bracey Wright
Bracey Wright
Bracey Wright is an American professional basketball player.-Amateur career:Wright attended Arbor Creek Middle School in Carrollton, TX and The Colony High School in The Colony, Texas. He was a former high school teammate of New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams...
, a guard from Indiana with the 17th pick of the 2nd round (47th overall).
During the offseason, they traded All-Star Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Samuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
and a protected future first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
for Marko Jaric
Marko Jaric
Marko Jarić is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is married to Brazilian model Adriana Lima.-Pro career:...
and Lionel Chalmers
Lionel Chalmers
Lionel Chalmers, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He is 6'0" in height and he weighs 180 pounds . He plays at the point guard position.-Amateur career:...
. They also signed free agent Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Nikoloz Tskitishvili is a Georgian professional basketball player. He is a 7'0", 245 lb. forward-center, who was selected 5th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2002 NBA Draft.-Pro career:...
.
On January 26, 2006, the Wolves traded forward Wally Szczerbiak, centers Dwayne Jones and Michael Olowokandi, and a future first-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. In return, they received forward/guard Ricky Davis
Ricky Davis
Tyree Ricardo Davis , better known as Ricky Davis, is an American professional basketball player.-Biography:...
, center Mark Blount
Mark Blount
Mark D. Blount is an American professional basketball player. Blount is a 7'0" tall center and weighs 250 lb , being a primarily offensive big man with a soft touch....
, forward Justin Reed
Justin Reed
Justin Michael Reed is an American professional basketball player, in the small forward position.Reed has been a free agent since the end of the 2009 season.-College career:...
, guard Marcus Banks
Marcus Banks
Arthur Lemarcus Banks III, commonly known as Marcus Banks , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA....
, and two second-round draft picks. In a separate trade on the same day, the Timberwolves traded Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Nikoloz Tskitishvili is a Georgian professional basketball player. He is a 7'0", 245 lb. forward-center, who was selected 5th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2002 NBA Draft.-Pro career:...
to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
for a 2006 second-round draft pick. The Timberwolves finished 33–49, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
In the 2006 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected future Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy
Brandon Roy
Brandon Dawayne Roy is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. He was selected sixth in the 2006 NBA Draft, having completed four years playing for the Washington Huskies. In 2009, he served as the team's co-captain, along...
with the 6th overall pick, Craig Smith
Craig Smith
Craig Smith is an American professional basketball player who was most recently member of the Los Angeles Clippers...
with the 36th pick, Bobby Jones with the 37th pick and center Loukas Mavrokefalidis
Loukas Mavrokefalidis
Loukas Mavrokefalidis is a Greek professional basketball player...
with the 57th pick. The Timberwolves traded Brandon Roy to the Portland Trail Blazers for Randy Foye and cash considerations. The Timberwolves then traded forward Bobby Jones to the Philadelphia 76ers for a 2007 second-round pick and cash.
On January 23, GM Kevin McHale fired head coach Dwane Casey
Dwane Casey
Dwane Casey is a former NCAA basketball player and coach who currently is a head coach in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors.-Early years:Casey was born in Morganfield, Kentucky, and graduated from Union County High School in 1975....
and replaced him with Randy Wittman
Randy Wittman
Randy Scott Wittman is a retired American basketball player, in the guard position, and former coach of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-College:...
. McHale explained in a news conference that it was inconsistency by Casey that led to the firing. Casey had compiled an overall record of 53–69. They finished the 2006–07 season with a record of 32–50, allowing them to keep their 2007 first-round pick.
2007–2010: Post Garnett
On July 31, 2007, the Minnesota Timberwolves reached a deal to trade All-Star Kevin GarnettKevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
to the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
for Al Jefferson
Al Jefferson
Al Ricardo Jefferson is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the NBA.-Early life:...
, Theo Ratliff
Theo Ratliff
Theophilus Curtis Ratliff , better known as Theo Ratliff, is an American professional basketball player who last played with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. Primarily a center, he was an excellent shot-blocker who has led the league three times in blocks per game...
, Gerald Green
Gerald Green
Gerald Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Foshan Dralions of the CBA. He was selected by the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA Draft...
, Sebastian Telfair
Sebastian Telfair
Sebastian Telfair is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Telfair was the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers out of Abraham Lincoln High School...
, Ryan Gomes
Ryan Gomes
Ryan Anthony Gomes is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association....
, two first-round draft picks, and cash considerations. This is the largest combination of players and picks ever traded for a single player in NBA history. Garnett and the Celtics went on to win the 2008 NBA Finals
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
in six games over the Los Angeles Lakers.
That summer, the Timberwolves traded Mike James
Mike James
Michael Lamont James is an American professional basketball player.-Early years:The youngest of seven siblings, James's childhood was not without challenges. Crime, drugs, and violence troubled his neighborhood streets. Lack of social and economic opportunity made urban living grueling and...
and Justin Reed
Justin Reed
Justin Michael Reed is an American professional basketball player, in the small forward position.Reed has been a free agent since the end of the 2009 season.-College career:...
to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
. In October of the same year, the Timberwolves waived Howard after reaching a contractual buyout agreement, worth $10 million of roughly $14.25 million which Minnesota would have owed him. The team also traded Ricky Davis
Ricky Davis
Tyree Ricardo Davis , better known as Ricky Davis, is an American professional basketball player.-Biography:...
and Mark Blount
Mark Blount
Mark D. Blount is an American professional basketball player. Blount is a 7'0" tall center and weighs 250 lb , being a primarily offensive big man with a soft touch....
to the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in exchange for the Heat's Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
, Michael Doleac
Michael Doleac
Michael Scott Doleac is an American former professional basketball player.Doleac was selected 12th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic...
, Wayne Simien
Wayne Simien
Wayne Anthony Simien, Jr. is an American former professional basketball player, who last played with Spain's Cáceres Ciudad de Baloncesto. He was a member of the Miami Heat team that won the 2005–06 NBA championship.-High school career:Growing up, Simien was a University of Kansas fan due to his...
, and a 2008 protected first-round draft pick.
In the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
the Timberwolves selected Corey Brewer
Corey Brewer
Corey Wayne Brewer is an American professional basketball player who is a small forward and shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for for the University of Florida, where he starred on the Florida Gators teams that won...
and Chris Richard
Chris Richard (basketball)
Chris Richard is an American professional basketball player. Richard, a power forward, played college basketball for the University of Florida. He has a wingspan of 7'4½". His role was that of the sixth man that came off the bench for the Florida Gators national championship men's team during the...
from the two-time NCAA national champion Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
.
Minnesota began the NBA preseason with two games in London and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, as part of NBA Europe Live 2007. On October 10, The Wolves lost to Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
and the revamped Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
92–81. To start the season, the Wolves began 0–5 before finally ending the drought with a home win over Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. That drought also brought about speculation of the possible dismissal of current coach Randy Wittman. The youngest team in the NBA began adjusting to life after trading franchise star Kevin Garnett to Boston, meanwhile playing without budding talent Randy Foye for the first half of the season. Guards Sebastian Telfair and Marko Jaric were deputized as starting point guards during Foye's injury absence. The Timberwolves finished the season 22–60. On a handful of occasions during the season, the team showed flashes of its potential in wins or very close contests with top-tier teams.
In the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
, the Timberwolves selected O.J. Mayo out of Southern California with the third overall pick. When the draft concluded, the Timberwolves traded Mayo, Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
, Greg Buckner
Greg Buckner
Gregory Derayle Buckner is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA...
, and Marko Jaric
Marko Jaric
Marko Jarić is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is married to Brazilian model Adriana Lima.-Pro career:...
to the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
in exchange for the 5th overall pick Kevin Love
Kevin Love
Kevin Love, born in Des Moines, Iowa, is a former NASCAR driver. He ran five races in the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season, all for Fiddleback Racing....
, Mike Miller, Jason Collins
Jason Collins
Jason Paul Collins is an American professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Atlanta Hawks. He graduated from Harvard-Westlake School, where his backup was actor Jason Segel...
, and Brian Cardinal
Brian Cardinal
Brian Lee Cardinal , nicknamed "The Custodian" or "The Janitor", is an American professional basketball player. Prior to being drafted to the NBA, Cardinal played college basketball at Purdue University.-1991–1995:...
in a move that Jim Stack
Jim Stack
Jim Stack is the general manager of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, a position he has held since 2004.Previously, Stack worked in the New York Knicks organization as a scout. He played a significant part in the formation of the Chicago Bulls as a powerhouse in the 1990s, beginning in 1988. He...
called, "a deal we couldn’t pass up.”
In 2008, in celebration of the franchise's twentieth anniversary, the team unveiled a new logo and uniforms. The new designs first appeared in the first preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on October 14, 2008. They also refurbished the floor at Target Center, returning to the traditional floor pattern and added touches of varnish while exposing most of the hardwood.
On December 8, 2008, after a 23-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
that dropped the team to 4–15, the Timberwolves fired head coach Randy Wittman and Kevin McHale took over. McHale also relinquished his vice president of basketball operations duties. It was unclear whether McHale's future with the team was dependent on the success or progress of the team which he had put together over the previous four years.
Those questions seemed to be answered when the Timberwolves went 10–4 for the month of January, giving McHale the coach of the month honors. But on February 8, 2009, the team's main star Al Jefferson
Al Jefferson
Al Ricardo Jefferson is an American professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the NBA.-Early life:...
tore his ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in his right knee in a game at New Orleans, sidelining him for the rest of the season. At the time of the injury, Jefferson was having his best season to date, averaging 23 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Without Jefferson and Corey Brewer (who also suffered a season-ending injury), the Wolves sputtered, to finish with a 24–58 record.
On June 17, 2009, new president of basketball operations David Kahn
David Kahn (sports executive)
David Kahn is an American sports executive, attorney, and former sportswriter. He is currently the president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association.-Early life and career:...
announced that McHale would not be returning to the team as head coach. Kahn did not give a specific reason for McHale's dismissal only saying "this is going to be a transition period." For his part, McHale said he wanted to come back but was not offered a contract. Later, in August, the Timberwolves announced the signing of Kurt Rambis
Kurt Rambis
Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:...
, then an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, to a four-year, $8 million contract to be their new head coach. With Kurt Rambis, the team stumbled to the second worst record in the League, behind the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. The Timberwolves yielded only 15 victories.
2010–present: Kevin Love era begins
On July 12, 2010, Minnesota traded for Miami HeatMiami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
forward Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...
the second pick from the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
.
In a locally untelevised game on November 12, 2010, Kevin Love grabbed an astounding franchise-record 31 rebounds and scored 31 points, the NBA's first 30–30 game in 28 years.
Love was later named an All Star for the 2010–2011 NBA season, the franchise's first All Star selection since Kevin Garnett in 2007. Love would later break Garnett's team record of 37 straight double-doubles on February 8, 2011 in a win over the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. On March 8, 2011, Love acquired his 52nd straight double-double, surpassing the mark of Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
for the most consecutive double-doubles since the NBA/ABA merger in a win over the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. In October, 2011, Love was ranked 16th among active players by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
On February 21, 2011, Corey Brewer
Corey Brewer
Corey Wayne Brewer is an American professional basketball player who is a small forward and shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . He played college basketball for for the University of Florida, where he starred on the Florida Gators teams that won...
and Kosta Koufos
Kosta Koufos
Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos is a Greek-American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets. He was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft...
were traded to the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
respectively for Knicks Anthony Randolph
Anthony Randolph
Anthony Erwin Randolph, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . Born in Germany to two parents who served in the military there, Randolph's family eventually relocated to the United States,...
and Eddy Curry
Eddy Curry
Eddy Curry is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He was born in Harvey, Illinois...
(plus $3 million in cash from New York and a 2015 second-round draft pick from Denver) as part of a larger trade that sent all-star Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
from Denver to New York.
On the downside, with a 121–102 loss to the Houston Rockets, the Timberwolves fell to 17–65, finishing last in the Western Conference for the second straight year. They also clinched the 2010-11 NBA season's worst record. During the offseason, the Timberwolves were finally able to bring 2009
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
fifth overall pick Ricky Rubio
Ricky Rubio
Ricard "Ricky" Rubio Vives is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . Rubio became the youngest player ever to play in the Spanish ACB League on October 15, 2005, at age 14...
over from Spain. In the 2011 NBA Draft
2011 NBA Draft
The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball...
, with the second overall pick, the Timberwolves selected Derrick Williams
Derrick Williams (basketball)
Derrick LeRon Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was considered one of the top prospects for the 2011 NBA Draft and was selected as the second overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves...
out of Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
and The Minnesota Timberwolves traded guard Jonny Flynn
Jonny Flynn
Jonny William Flynn is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
and the draft rights to Donatas Motiejunas
Donatas Motiejunas
Donatas Motiejūnas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. He plays the power forward and center positions. He is nicknamed "D-Mo" by Houston Rockets fans. Motiejūnas was selected twentieth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft....
(No. 20) to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for center Brad Miller
Brad Miller (basketball)
Bradley Alan Miller is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA...
, the draft rights to Nikola Mirotic
Nikola Mirotić
Nikola Mirotić is a naturalized Spanish professional basketball player of Montenegrin origin. He is a 2.09 m tall power forward. He plays for Real Madrid.-Pro career:Mirotić began his professional career with the Spanish ACB League club Real Madrid...
(No. 23), Chandler Parsons
Chandler Parsons
Chandler E. Parsons is an American professional basketball power forward with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association . Parsons played college basketball at the University of Florida, and was drafted by the Rockets in second round of the 2011 NBA Draft.- Early years :Parsons...
(No. 38) and a future first-round pick. The Timberwolves traded Mirotic’s rights to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
for the rights to Norris Cole
Norris Cole
Norris Benjamin Cole is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Malcolm Hebden, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 11 March 1994 and remained until his departure on 14 April 1997, only to return on 1 December...
(No. 28) and Malcolm Lee
Malcolm Lee
Malcolm Lee is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft...
(No. 43). The Timberwolves then sold the rights to Parsons back to the Rockets. The Timberwolves traded Norris Cole (No. 28) to the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
for the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanovic
Bojan Bogdanović
Bojan Bogdanović is a Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Croatian professional basketball player for Turkish team Fenerbahçe Ülker.....
(No. 31), a future second-round pick and cash considerations then later Bogdanovic traded to New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
For a future second-round and cash. The Trail Blazers traded the draft rights to Tanguy Ngombo
Tanguy Ngombo
Tanguy Alban Harrys Ngombo, often incorrectly written as Targuy Ngombo , is a Congolese-born Qatari professional basketball player who plays for Al Rayyan of the Qatar Basketball League. He has represented the Qatari national team in international competition. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks...
to the Timberwolves.
On July 12, 2011, Kurt Rambis
Kurt Rambis
Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:...
was fired as coach of the team after compiling a 32–132 record in two seasons with the team. On September 13, 2011, the team annouced that they had hired Rick Adelman
Rick Adelman
Richard Leonard "Rick" Adelman is an American former basketball professional player and current basketball coach. He is the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA. Confirmation of the hiring came from the Timberwolves on September 13, 2011...
to be the team's new head coach.
Logos and arenas
LogosArenas
- Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
(1989–1990) - Target CenterTarget CenterThe Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
(1990–present)
Unassigned numbers
- 21 Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
, F, 1995–2007. The No. 21 has not been issued since Garnett was traded to the Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
on July 31, 2007.
International rights
| F |  | Henk Norel Henk Norel Henk Norel is a Dutch forward-center who plays for DKV Joventut in the Spanish ACB League. He was drafted with the 47th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.- External links :***... | 2009 NBA Draft 2009 NBA Draft The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S... | 47th pick |
| F/C |  | Paulão Prestes Paulão Prestes Paulo "Paulão" Prestes is a Brazilian basketball player, drafted in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.-External links:* *... | 2010 NBA Draft 2010 NBA Draft The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur... | 45th pick |
| F | Nemanja Bjelica Nemanja Bjelica Nemanja Bjelica is a Serbian professional basketball player. He is a 2.09 m tall small forward and he can also play as a point forward. He is currently playing for the Spanish team Caja Laboral.-Player profile:Although 2.09m tall, Bjelica is a shooter and small forward... | 2010 NBA Draft 2010 NBA Draft The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur... | 35th pick | |
| C |  | Loukas Mavrokefalidis Loukas Mavrokefalidis Loukas Mavrokefalidis is a Greek professional basketball player... | 2006 NBA Draft 2006 NBA Draft The 2006 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2006 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players,... | 57th pick |
Individual awards
NBA MVP- Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
– 2004
NBA Most Improved Player
NBA Most Improved Player Award
The National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1985–86 NBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada,...
- Kevin LoveKevin LoveKevin Love, born in Des Moines, Iowa, is a former NASCAR driver. He ran five races in the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season, all for Fiddleback Racing....
– 2011
All-NBA First Team
- Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
– 2000, 2003, 2004
All-NBA Second Team
- Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
– 2001, 2002, 2007 - Sam CassellSam CassellSamuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
– 2004
All-NBA Third Team
- Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
– 1999, 2006
NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
– 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
– 2006, 2007
NBA Rookie First Team
NBA All-Rookie Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
- Pooh RichardsonPooh RichardsonJerome "Pooh" Richardson is an American former National Basketball Association player. he was selected in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, their first draft pick in franchise history...
– 1990 - Christian LaettnerChristian LaettnerChristian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
– 1993 - Isaiah Rider – 1994
- Stephon MarburyStephon MarburyStephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
– 1997 - Wally SzczerbiakWally SzczerbiakWalter Robert "Wally" Szczerbiak is an American former professional basketball player.-Early life:Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father Walter was playing for Real Madrid, and spent much of his childhood in Europe during his father's playing career...
– 2000 - Randy FoyeRandy FoyeRandy Foye is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. He played collegiately at Villanova University. He was selected seventh overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, immediately traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, and later traded to...
– 2007
NBA Rookie Second Team
NBA All-Rookie Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
- Felton SpencerFelton SpencerFelton LaFrance Spencer is a retired American professional basketball player who played at the center position in the National Basketball Association.-High school and college:...
– 1991 - Kevin GarnettKevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
– 1996 - Craig SmithCraig SmithCraig Smith is an American professional basketball player who was most recently member of the Los Angeles Clippers...
– 2007 - Kevin LoveKevin LoveKevin Love, born in Des Moines, Iowa, is a former NASCAR driver. He ran five races in the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season, all for Fiddleback Racing....
– 2009 - Jonny FlynnJonny FlynnJonny William Flynn is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
– 2010 - Wesley JohnsonWesley Johnson (basketball)Wesley JaMarr Johnson is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played college basketball at Syracuse and Iowa State...
– 2011
Radio
The Timberwolves flagship station is KFANKFAN (AM)
* See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St...
1130 AM. KFAN (known as WDGY until 1991) has been the flagship since the team's inception, except for a brief two year hiatus to KLCI
KLCI
KLCI is a radio station serving the northwest Twin Cities area of Minnesota, United States, that airs a country music format. They are licensed to suburban Elk River, Minnesota and serve the Twin Cities as a rimshot signal. Bob 106's transmitter is in Albertville, Minnesota.KLCI's playlist focuses...
BOB 106.1 FM for the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons. Alan Horton serves as the team's radio play-by-play announcer. WCCO-AM
WCCO-AM
WCCO is a radio station located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The station broadcasts on a clear-channel frequency and is owned by CBS Radio. The station's studios are located in downtown Minneapolis, while its transmitter is located in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.With 50,000 watts of power, WCCO's...
will become the flagship station in 2011–12
Television
Games are broadcast on WFTCWFTC
WFTC, channel 29, is a MyNetworkTV owned and operated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area...
My 29 and Fox Sports North. Broadcasters are Tom Hanneman
Tom Hanneman
Tom Hanneman is the current play-by-play television announcer for the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team of the National Basketball Association and has been with the franchise since its inception in 1989. Prior to that, Hanneman was a sports and general assignment reporter for CBS affiliate...
and Jim Petersen
Jim Petersen
James "Jim" Richard Petersen is a retired American basketball player, and a current assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. He played as either a power forward or a center.-High school / College:...
.
Head coaches
| No. | Name | Years | Won | Lost | Win % | Games | Post Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Musselman Bill Musselman William Clifford Musselman was an American basketball coach in the NCAA, the ABA, the WBA, the CBA, and the NBA. He was a fiercely intense coach who once was quoted as saying "defeat is worse than death, because you have to live with defeat."-Early life:Musselman was the second of five children.... |
1989–1991 | 51 | 113 | 164 | ||
| 2 | Jimmy Rodgers Jimmy Rodgers (basketball) James Donald "Jimmy" Rodgers is an American former basketball coach. He coached the Boston Celtics for two seasons, and the Minnesota Timberwolves for nearly a season and a half... |
1991–1993 | 21 | 90 | 111 | ||
| 3 | Sidney Lowe Sidney Lowe Sidney Rochell Lowe is an American basketball coach and is currently an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz. He is a former NBA player and head coach, and has served as the head coach at North Carolina State University,.-Biography:Lowe began his career at DeMatha Catholic High School in... |
1993–1994 | 33 | 102 | 135 | ||
| 4 | Bill Blair Bill Blair (basketball) William Blair is a former head coach in the National Basketball Association. He served as an interim head coach for the New Jersey Nets, and coached the Minnesota Timberwolves for a season and a half.-External links:*... |
1994–1996 | 27 | 75 | 102 | ||
| 5 | Flip Saunders Flip Saunders Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.... |
1996–2005 | 411 | 326 | 737 | 1997–2004 | |
| 6 | Kevin McHale Kevin McHale Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009... |
2005 | 19 | 12 | 31 | ||
| 7 | Dwane Casey Dwane Casey Dwane Casey is a former NCAA basketball player and coach who currently is a head coach in the NBA for the Toronto Raptors.-Early years:Casey was born in Morganfield, Kentucky, and graduated from Union County High School in 1975.... |
2005–2007 | 53 | 65 | 118 | ||
| 8 | Randy Wittman Randy Wittman Randy Scott Wittman is a retired American basketball player, in the guard position, and former coach of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-College:... |
2007–2008 | 38 | 105 | 143 | ||
| 9 | Kevin McHale Kevin McHale Kevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009... |
2008–09 | 20 | 43 | 63 | ||
| 10 | Kurt Rambis Kurt Rambis Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:... |
2009–2011 | 27 | 102 | 129 | ||
| 21-year Total | 1989– | 700 | 1033 | 1733 | 1997–2004 | ||