The Minnesota Timberwolves’ season came to a screeching halt after suffering a 124-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals. By all accounts, this was a successful season for Minnesota. The Timberwolves reached the conference finals for the second consecutive season but fell short of playing in the franchise’s first NBA Finals.
All eyes are on what the Timberwolves will do next.
Minnesota doesn’t own its first-round pick, but it has the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft via the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. The Wolves received Julius Randle and a top-13 protected first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons after that team reached the playoffs.
What’s next for Timberwolves? Minnesota at a crossroads after another Western Conference finals exit
Sam Quinn
The last time Minnesota held a first-round pick, the franchise took a swing by trading up to the No. 8 pick to select Rob Dillingham. At the time, the former Kentucky star was viewed as a potential successor to veteran guard Mike Conley, but he logged just 49 games during his rookie campaign. Dillingham only played in garbage time during the NBA playoffs and was buried on the bench.
There is still time for Dillingham to develop, but there are other roster holes outside of point guard. Randle and Naz Reid have player options, and versatile wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted free agent.
If the Timberwolves make the pick, there are plenty of directions to choose from. It also helps that other players drafted at No. 17 in recent years have panned out. That list includes Trey Murphy lll (2021), Alexander-Walker (2019) and Donte DiVincenzo (2018).
Here are four players the Timberwolves could consider at pick No. 17.
Danny Wolf | F/C | Michigan
Big Board ranking: 16
If the Timberwolves lose Randle and/or Reid this offseason, Wolf could be a player to target. The Michigan big man is a versatile and fluid mover capable of being an offensive force at the next level. Wolf has smooth footwork and is an underrated passer. There are some concerns about the defense at the next level, but with Rudy Gobert manning the middle, it should mask some of his shortcomings on that end of the floor.
The free-throw shooting (59.4%) and 3-point shooting (33.6%) will need to be improved in the NBA to stay on the floor, but betting on Wolf’s offensive upside is enough to justify this landing spot.
Nique Clifford | G/F | Colorado State
Big Board ranking: 15
Clifford has the perfect blend of positional size, experience and versatility to be an impactful rotational piece at the NBA level. Clifford was one of the best rebounders in college basketball. Clifford pulled down 9.6 rebounds per night — which was the most by any player in college basketball under 6-foot-6.
Clifford is a career 36.4% shooter from the 3-point line. Something else about Clifford’s game that stands out and will be translatable to the next level is his ability to scale his role. He started at Colorado as a reserve, emerged as a high-end role player, and then transferred to Colorado State and became one of the best players in college basketball. If Minnesota can’t keep Alexander-Walker, he would be a solid replacement.
Cedric Coward | G | Washington State
Big Board ranking: 18
Coward has been one of the biggest risers in the draft process. The hype started at the NBA Draft Combine and continued into the week of the withdrawal deadline, where Coward elected to bypass the opportunity to play for Duke and stayed in the draft.
The former Division lll guard has had quite the college journey. Coward only played in seven games during the 2024-25 season but showcased why he will be a first-round pick this summer. At the combine, Coward measured 6-6.5 with a 7-2 wingspan. He is a 38.3% career 3-point shooter. He could be another plug-and-play wing to slot into Minnesota’s rotation.
Walter Clayton Jr. | G | Florida
Big Board ranking: 28
It would be somewhat contradictory to draft a point guard one year removed from trading up into the lottery to draft Dillingham, but everything should be on the table this summer. Clayton was the best guard in college basketball and was the offensive engine on Florida’s national title team. Clayton is a clutch and fearless shotmaker capable of taking over a game at any moment.
Clayton is an older prospect, but he can step in and fill an immediate need at the guard position as Minnesota is still searching for Anthony Edwards’ long-term backcourt mate.
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