The Minnesota Timberwolves All-Time GOAT Pyramid

The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the more recently founded franchises in the NBA. Having had their inaugural season in 1989-90, the Timberwolves have made just 11 playoff appearances in 35 seasons and are still seeking their first NBA championship. The Timberwolves, much like any other franchise in the NBA, have had their share of NBA legends take the court as members of their organization. Today, we will place the 25 greatest players in franchise history into tiers in the latest installment of our GOAT pyramid series. 

If you are still getting familiar with how we compile a franchise GOAT pyramid, let us refresh your memory. These players are placed into different tiers based on their time with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Timberwolves only. What they did at any other stops in their careers holds zero weight in this scenario. For further reference, you can see how we covered these other franchises below:

- The Los Angeles Lakers All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Chicago Bulls All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Golden State Warriors All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Boston Celtics All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Detroit Pistons All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Miami Heat All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Houston Rockets All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Brooklyn Nets All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The New York Knicks All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Milwaukee Bucks All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Denver Nuggets All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Orlando Magic All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Indiana Pacers All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Oklahoma City Thunder All-Time GOAT Pyramid

Now that the rules and guidelines have been laid out, it is time to get into the Minnesota Timberwolves’ all-time GOAT pyramid.

Tier 5

Sam Mitchell, Terrell Brandon, Derrick Rose, Pooh Richardson, Chauncey Billups, Christian Laetnner, D'Angelo Russell, Gorgui Dieng, Isaiah Rider, Tony Campbell

Tier 5 is for the lower-level players and underrated stars in Minnesota Timberwolves history. The first one of these players is Sam Mitchell who played 10 of his 13 NBA seasons with the Timberwolves during the 1990s and 2000s. Mitchell was a talented forward who averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game with Minnesota in his career. He helped the team make six playoff appearances and ranks fourth in team history with 7,161 points.

Terrell Brandon is another underrated star in Timberwolves history. Brandon played three and a half seasons with the Timberwolves from 1999 through 2002 before a knee injury forced him to retire at 31 years old. Brandon was fantastic during his time with Minnesota, averaging 15.6 points, 8.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 45.0% shooting. The team would go to the playoffs three times, where Brandon averaged 18.0 points and 7.3 assists per game.

Derrick Rose was far from the MVP version of himself from 2011 when he joined the Timberwolves in 2018. Despite spending just 60 games with the team, Rose’s emotional 50-point performance on Halloween 2019 is something every NBA fan remembers where they were when it happened. Thought to be an afterthought and completely run down by this point, Rose averaged 16.2 points per game on 47.8% shooting in 60 games for Minnesota.

Pooh Richardson was Minnesota’s 10th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. While he may not be one of their biggest draft mistakes over the years, Richardson would spend just three seasons with the team before moving on. In those three seasons, Richardson averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. He ranks third in franchise history in assists and fourth in assists per game.

Chauncey Billups is far more well-known for his time with the Pistons and Nuggets in his career. Many fans forget that the first time we saw any type of All-Star play from Billups was during the 2001 and 2002 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. During those two seasons, his regular season play was pedestrian, averaging 10.9 points and 4.5 assists per game but that all changed in the 2002 playoffs. In a three-game series against the Mavericks, Billups averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game, prompting Detroit to make a move for the future borderline Hall of Famer.

Compared to the star he was in college at Duke University, Christian Laettner was nearly a bust in the NBA. Still, Laettner managed to crack the top 10 in Timberwolves scoring in just three-plus seasons with the team from 1993 through 1996. Laettner averaged 17.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game in Minnesota but never reached a playoff series until he left for Atlanta. Regardless, being top 10 in any major statistical category for a franchise means something, and Laettner’s 4,759 points rank 10th in Timberwolves history.

D’Angelo Russell was not a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves for long, spending two and a half seasons with the team from 2020 through 2023. Russell played a total of 173 games with Minnesota, averaging 18.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. In 2022, Russell helped the team snap a playoff drought by defeating the Clippers in the play-in tournament and averaging 18.1 points and 7.1 assists on the season. His contributions to the team stand out much more than most who have come and gone in Timberwolves history.

I am willing to bet that Gorgui Dieng was not a name you were expecting to see on this list here today. The 6’10’’ big man from Senegal spent seven seasons with the Timberwolves from 2014 through 202 where he climbed up their ranks in all defensive categories. Dieng currently ranks eighth in steals and third in blocks in Timberwolves history, making him one of their most accomplished defenders ever. He may not be as celebrated as other stars who have passed through but his impact is proven with the numbers he produced.

Isaiah “J.R.” Rider was one of the most athletically gifted and exciting players to ever wear a Timberwolves uniform. Rider played three seasons in Minnesota from 1994 through 1996 where he averaged 18.8 points per game on 45.9% shooting. Rider’s off-the-court issues would cut his time in Minnesota short but his perfection of the Eastbay dunk and his ability to score at a high level made him a legend in Minnesota.

The final member of Tier 5 is none other than Tony Campbell. He played three seasons with the Timberwolves from 1990 through 1992 where he averaged 20.6 points per game on 45.1% shooting. During those three seasons, Campbell was such a scoring threat that he ended up ninth in Minnesota history with 4,888 points where he remains today.

Tier 4

Andrew Wiggins, Stephon Marbury, Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, Doug West, Latrell Sprewell

Seven players make up Tier 4 for the Minnesota Timberwolves, mostly due to their lack of longevity with the franchise. Still, they are some of the best players to ever don the Timberwolves uniform. Take Andrew Wiggins for example. Wiggins was a member of the Timberwolves for five and a half seasons, averaging 19.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. As a former No. 1 overall pick, Wiggins was expected to be the future of the franchise from 2015 through 2020. Unfortunately, he could lead the team to just one playoff appearance in six seasons which led to a trade to Golden State where he redeemed himself.

Stephon Marbury is a great example of what could have been if he hadn't let his ego and desire for money get in the way. Marbury played two and a half seasons with the Timberwolves from 1997 through 1999 after they made him their No. 4 overall draft pick in 1996. Marbury averaged 16.9 points, 8.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game during those two-plus seasons but felt he was not being compensated fairly for his play. Soon thereafter, he was traded to the Nets, cutting short a promising run with fellow star Kevin Garnett.

Jimmy Butler spent exactly 69 games in Minnesota with the Timberwolves in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, Butler was an All-Star for the team, averaging 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. After a contract negotiation fell apart, Butler showed up at the Timberwolves’ practice facility ready for war one day. After getting his grievances off his chest while embarrassing his teammates on the court, Butler was traded to Philadelphia.

Zach LaVine is a former two-time Slam Dunk champion with the Timberwolves which is what put him on the map during the 2010s. LaVine spent the first three seasons of his career with the team where he came into his own and developed into a rising star in the league. LaVine averaged 13.7 points and 3.2 assists per game over three years with the Timberwolves but athletic play after athletic play made him a recognizable name for NBA fans everywhere.

Ricky Rubio is well-known in NBA and Timberwolves history for being one of the players mistakenly taken by the team ahead of Stephen Curry in the 2009 NBA Draft. Rubio would still go on to have a solid career with Minnesota from 2012 through 2017. Rubio made his way to second in franchise history in assists with 3,424 while also ranking second in steals with 845. He averaged 10.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in his seven seasons there but was never able to lead his team to the playoffs.

Doug West is the final member of Tier 4 and yet another underrated star in team history. West played nine seasons with Minnesota from 1990 through 1998 where he averaged 10.2 points per game on 48.4% shooting. West is seventh in franchise history with 6,216 total points scored as well as eighth in assists with 1,216. In 1997, West would make his only career playoff appearance with the Timberwolves, a first-round exit at the hands of the Rockets.

Latrell Sprewell spent the final two seasons of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004 and 2005. He averaged 14.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game during that time but it ended well before it had to. See, Sprewell was offered a contract with Minnesota, to which he responded, “How am I supposed to feed my family with this?” He was subsequently released and did not receive a single offer from another team, forcing him into retirement at 34 years old.

Tier 3

Anthony Edwards, Wally Szczerbiak, Al Jefferson, Tom Gugliotta

Anthony Edwards may be young and have a lot of time left to make his way up this list but he is already clearly one of the best players in Timberwolves history. In just three-plus seasons, Edwards has already become an All-Star, averaging 22.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. In 2023-24, Edwards has led the Timberwolves to the best record in the Western Conference through 24 games at 19-5. This comes one year after he led them to the playoff and averaged 31.6 points per game in a series against the eventual NBA champions.

Wally Szczerbiak is one of the most memorable names in Minnesota Timberwolves history not only because of its wacky configuration but because of what he meant to the city. In seven seasons with the team, Szcaerbiak was one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA, averaging 15.5 points and 4.4 rebounds on 50/40/85 shooting splits. Sxczerbiak was an All-Star in 2002 as well, averaging 18.7 points on 50/43/85 shooting splits.

In just three seasons with the Timberwolves, Al Jefferson was so dominant that he earned his way onto Tier 3 in their GOAT conversation. Jefferson was one of the NBA's most feared interior players with his physical and vocal style of play. In three seasons, he averaged 20.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game for Minnesota on 49.9% shooting. While they were never good enough to make the playoffs, Jefferson was there to at least make them watchable at times.

The final member of Tier 3 is none other than Tom Gugliotta who played four seasons with Minnesota from 1995 through 1998. In 1996-97, Gugliotta would make an All-Star appearance with Minnesota averaging 20.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He averaged 18.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his time with the team and ranks top 10 in steals in franchise history with 391.

Tier 2

Karl Anthony-Towns, Kevin Love, Sam Cassell

Tier 2 on the Minnesota Timberwolves' all-time GOAT pyramid is when the stars truly come to shine. Karl-Anthony Towns was Minnesota’s No. 1 overall pick in 2015 and in the eight-plus seasons since, has become one of the best players in franchise history. Over the years, Towns has earned three All-Star appearances and two All-NBA Team selections on top of the 2016 Rookie of the Year award. He has averaged 23.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game as well while ranking top 10 in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in franchise history.

There are a ton of people these days who completely underrate how good Kevin Love was with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009 through 2014. Love was a walking double-double during this time, averaging 19.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game on 45.1% shooting. In those six seasons, Love would become a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA Team selection, and the 2011 Most Improved Player.

Sam Cassell may have spent just two seasons on the Minnesota Timberwolves but his impact was worthy of Tier 2 placement. Cassell played the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the team where he would become an All-Star and lead them to the Western Conference Finals in his first season there. In 2004, he averaged 19.8 points and 7.3 assists per game on 48.8% shooting from the field as teammate Kevin Garnett became an MVP simultaneously.

Tier 1

Kevin Garnett

Any other answer than Kevin Garnett as the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise GOAT is just flat-out wrong and should be dismissed immediately. Garnett is still the only MVP in the history of the franchise, which he earned in 2004 as he averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game. He would win four straight rebounding titles as well and lead them to the Western Conference Finals in 2004.

If that wasn't enough to solidify his spot as the franchise GOAT, he also leads the franchise overall in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks with so much ground to be made up, he may never relinquish those rankings.