Through careful drafting, trades and asset management, the Minnesota Timberwolves have built a team that most consider to be a true top-tier championship contender. After finishing in the top three in the Western Conference last season, the team is poised to be one of the best teams in the conference again next season.
One of the best ways Minnesota has utilized their assets has been by being judicious with their draft picks: It's simply not possible to hold onto all of your picks forever and try to build a championship team, and the Timberwolves' front office has made some calculated gambles to bring in more talent.
As a result, they ended up with fewer draft picks. Of course, it's been worth it for them thus far, but it's also a useful exercise to consider what teams are dealing with in terms of draft assets. To get an accurate picture of where Minnesota's draft capital currently stands, here's a comprehensive list of the Timberwolves' future picks:
2028 1st round draft pick (owned)
2025 2nd round pick (DEN or PHI)
2025 2nd round pick (UTA)
2026 second-round pick (IND, MIA, or SAS)
2029 2nd round pick (owned)
2031 2nd round pick (GSW)
2031 2nd round pick (owned)
2025 first-round draft pick (UTA)
2025 2nd round pick (ATL)
2026 first-round draft pick (UTA or CLE)
2026 2nd round pick (BOS, NYK, or WAS)
2027 first-round draft pick (UTA)
2027 2nd round pick (NYK)
2028 2nd round pick (SAS)
2029 first-round draft pick (UTA)
2030 1st round draft pick (SAS)
2030 2nd Round Nominees (DET)
2031 1st round draft pick (SAS)
The fact that the list of departing picks is the longest ever is never a pleasant sight for Timberwolves fans: Six first-round picks formerly belonging to Minnesota are set to be used by other teams between next year's draft and 2031.
Perhaps the biggest blow is that the Timberwolves currently only have one first-round pick for the remainder of the decade in 2028. While the lack of picks is certainly a concern to some extent, fans can take solace in the fact that Minnesota is a genuine championship contender, and if they can bring home the franchise's first NBA championship, the lost pick will be well worth it.
