What type of player will the Timberwolves target in 2024 NBA Draft?

What will Minnesota do in this month's NBA Draft.

Jan 16, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves mascot Crunch dunks the ball during a timeout in the game with the Golden State Warriors at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports / Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

After trading for Rudy Gobert in 2022, many people thought the Timberwolves wouldn't have a draft pick for a decade, but believe it or not they have the No. 27 and No. 37 picks in this year's NBA Draft. What are their options with the two selections?

This is the first year that the first round and second round of the draft will take place on different days since the event was reduced to two rounds in 1989. Round 1 will be on June 26 at 7 p.m. CT and Round 2 on June 27 at 3 p.m. CT.

Twenty-twenty-four will be the last year the Timberwolves have a first-round pick until 2028 and they have only two second-round picks (2025) and (2026) until then. Therefore, it will be important for them to find a young player they can develop in their system this draft, and that could change their approach when the draft begins later this month.

Minnesota has 11 players under contract heading into the offseason, so they really have the flexibility to do whatever they please in this draft. After making a run to the Western Conference finals, there is no doubt that they're in "win-now" mode. Their biggest question heading into the draft is if they want to draft an older rookie prospect that could contribute right away, or draft a young developmental or overseas player and find their bench depth for next season in free agency.

Older "win-now" rookie prospects

- Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, SG/SF (24 years old)
- Tyler Kolek, Marquette, PG (23 years old)
- Kevin McCullar Jr., Kansas, SG (23 years old)
- Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois, SG (24 years old)
- Pelle Larson, Arizona, SG (23 years old)
- Jalen Bridges, Baylor, SF (23 years old)
- Cam Spencer, UConn, SG (24 years old)

There are more prospects than these seven, but every one of these players will be older than Minnesota's young bench players: Josh Minott (21), Leonard Miller (20), Jaylen Clark (22) and Wendell Moore Jr. (22) at the start of next season.

None of the four young bench players currently on the roster have played a significant role on an NBA rotation, but the question is whether or not Minnesota thinks they can make a jump in 2024-25.

Developmental prospects

- Tyler Smith, G-League Ignite, F (19 years old)
- Justin Edwards, Kentucky, G (19 years old)
- Cam Christie, Minnesota, G (18 years old)
- A.J. Johnson, Illawarra Hawks (NBL), G (19 years old)
- Pacome Dadiet, France, F (18 years old)
- Juan Nunez, Spain, PG (20 years old)
- Ajay Mitchell, UC Santa Barbara, G (20 years old)

With Minott, Miller, Moore and Clark, Minnesota has went the route of younger developmental prospects in recent years. If head coach Chris Finch feels any of them are ready to join the rotation in 2024-25, Minnesota could elect to go with developmental prospects at picks 27 and 37.

If Finch and company don't think Minott, Miller, Moore and Clark and ready for a real bench role in the NBA, then drafting an older, win-now player might be the more likely outcome for a Wolves club that could lose Kyle Anderson, Luka Garza, Jordan McLaughin and Monte Morris to free agency this summer.