The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the 2025-26 NBA season with extremely high aspirations. They fell just short of their regular-season over/under win total line, which most sportsbooks had set at 49.5. They amassed 49 wins and proved extremely inconsistent throughout the season.
After reaching the Western Conference Finals the past two years, they flamed out in the Western Conference semifinals, losing to the San Antonio Spurs convincingly in six games. At times during the season, players such as Terrence Shannon Jr and Joan Beringer showed glimpses of brilliance. This leaves them with many questions that need answering, primarily in the personnel department.
Timberwolves Draft Picks:
- Round 1 — No. 28
- Round 2 — No. 59
Timberwolves Draft Needs:
With the uncertainty surrounding the injury to Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves are in dire need of depth at the guard positions. Point guard and/or combo guard is undoubtedly their biggest roster hole entering the 2026 NBA Draft.
Anthony Edwards is not going anywhere, so finding a reliable ball-handler is necessary to take the pressure off him. While Bones Hyland and Mike Conley served as decent options last season, both are free agents.
Ayo Dosunmu, who was added at the trade deadline, played a huge role for the Wolves in their late-season and postseason successes. However, Dosunmu is set to enter free agency himself, and re-signing him is admittedly one of their top priorities.
In regard to the forwards and centers, Minnesota still has Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle under contract. With the way the postseason run exposed many of the Wolves’ deficiencies, many are expecting moves. A new home could be found for Randle — and potentially Gobert.
Timberwolves’ Draft Targets:
Ebuka Okorie — PG/SG — Stanford
Okorie solves the most glaring hole in Minnesota’s lineup: a reliable PG option. Okorie started for Stanford as a true freshman and was one of the most versatile scorers in college basketball. He finished seventh nationally in scoring, a much-needed punch Minnesota could use from his position. Across 31 games, Okorie averaged 23.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals in 35.2 minutes per game on 46.5%/35.4%/83.2% shooting splits.
He carried one of the heaviest offensive workloads in the country while taking exceptional care of the ball. Okorie earned First-Team All-ACC and ACC All-Rookie Team honors, and projects as a slightly larger Kemba Walker. He is listed at 6-foot-1 and weighs 185 pounds, with a sturdy frame and ability to absorb contact. The only concern with Okorie — he may not be on the board when the Wolves select at 28.
Christian Anderson — PG/SG — Texas Tech
Anderson could also immediately solve the Timberwolves’ PG need. At 6-foot-1 and weighing 180 pounds, Christian offers a similar build to Okorie. Anderson earned a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection, and he made a leap as a sophomore. He averaged 18.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 38.5 minutes per game, shooting 55.8 percent on twos, 41.5 percent from three, and 80.5 percent from the free-throw line.
The Third-Team All-American (AP, TSN, USBWA) and First-Team All-Big 12 selection won Big 12 Most Improved Player and carried the Red Raiders to the Sweet 16. Anderson could greatly help space the floor for Anthony Edwards. Anderson projects as a Darius Garland-esque player, due to his shooting ability and speed to process defenses. He has invaluable experience and could serve as an immediate contributor for Minnesota.
Meleek Thomas — SG/SF — Arkansas
Thomas is another viable combo guard option for the Timberwolves who could help satisfy their need for guard depth. While he may not be a primary ball-handler, he would be a great fit and serve as a prominent offensive option for Minnesota. Thomas was undecided on entering this year’s NBA Draft until the last minute, as he is a freshman. With that said, he has a two-way ability that the Timberwolves would dearly value.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 190 pounds, Thomas was an SEC All-Freshman Team selection. He finished second in scoring for Arkansas with 15.7 ppg and posted four games with at least five three-pointers. He led the Razorbacks in free throw percentage (84.3%) and three-point field goal percentage (41.6%), respectively. His shooting prowess is evident as he is a polished scorer.
Arkansas head coach John Calipari says Thomas reminds him of three-time NBA All-Star Richard “Rip” Hamilton.
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