Leonard Miller’s path to real NBA minutes finally looks open, and the former Timberwolves forward may be in position to cash in with the Chicago Bulls.
Minnesota never gave the 2023 second-round pick much room to breathe. Over two-and-a-half seasons, Miller was stuck on the Wolves’ bench and logged just 179 total minutes. That kind of squeeze is hard to avoid on a roster that already had Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Julius Randle soaking up forward minutes.
Once he landed in Chicago as part of the Ayo Dosunmu trade, though, the picture changed fast. Miller got into 27 games with the Bulls and put up 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 stocks per game while shooting 55.5/35.6/76.2. That’s a real starting point, not just a nice stretch of noise.
And the opportunity in Chicago looks real. Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson are clearly part of the Bulls’ long-term plan, but after that the depth chart opens up.
Patrick Williams, rookie Dailyn Swain, and Isaac Okoro are the main names in the mix for reserve forward minutes, with Jalen Smith mostly serving as a backup five. For a player like Miller, that’s the kind of lane you want to see.
At 6-foot-10, he already brings size that jumps off the page. He can switch defensively, handle work on the ball, and cause problems off it too.
Offensively, his best moments come in transition, where his athleticism lets him finish plays instead of just starting them. If he’s going to turn that into something bigger, the next step is pretty clear: more creation and more made 3s.
He’s 22, so that growth is still on the table. If it all comes together, Miller could settle in as a 15- to 16-point scorer, which would absolutely count as a breakout season. Even if he doesn’t make that kind of leap, his defense and athleticism should be enough to earn him a steady role off the Bulls’ bench.
From Minnesota’s side, a big year from Miller might spark some debate about whether Chris Finch should have used him more. Nickeil Alexander-Walker already made that same kind of exit-and-bloom move after leaving the Wolves last season, and it’s easy to look back and wonder what might have been. On the surface, seeing Miller become part of Chicago’s core after barely getting a shot in Minnesota wouldn’t exactly flatter the Wolves.
But there’s another side to it. Young players are hard to develop when you’re also trying to win, and the Wolves had plenty of bodies ahead of him.
McDaniels, Reid, and Randle were obvious obstacles, and wings like Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, and Josh Minott were also in the mix at different points. Sometimes a player just needs a different setting.
And in this case, Minnesota also used Miller in the deal that brought back Dosunmu, who is an awesome player. So there’s no reason to turn this into a grievance. Miller has a chance to grow in Chicago, and a breakout season feels very much in play.
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What makes the deal so notable is less the headline names than the basketball fit underneath it. Ball brings the kind of offensive gravity Minnesota has not always had next to Edwards, with the ability to handle the ball, create for others and still work without it in a way that should complement a star wing instead of crowding him. Randle gave the Wolves a different kind of power, but this swap suggests the organization was willing to bet that a more dynamic backcourt pairing gives them a better path forward, even if the full answer to how it all meshes will have to wait for the court. [Read more 🡒]
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For Timberwolves fans wondering whether the old connection could be revived, the bigger hurdle is that the numbers and the roster math do not line up cleanly. Minnesota would have to navigate financial constraints and fit considerations to make any serious push, and the Knicks still appear to be the most probable destination for Towns in the near term. The intrigue is there, but for now the reunion chatter is running into the same wall it always does. [Read more 🡒]
Wolves Frontcourt Debate Is Now All About Trust Behind Rudy Gobert
Tim Connellys offseason overhaul has given Minnesota a noticeably younger, quicker look, and it has also turned the frontcourt into one of the most interesting parts of the roster. Rudy Gobert remains the anchor, but the names behind him now carry real weight, with Jonathan Kuminga, Joan Beringer, Trey Lyles and Cody Williams all in the mix for rotation time as the Timberwolves sort out what this group looks like once the games start mattering.
The appeal is obvious enough: there is size, versatility and more athletic juice than Minnesota has had in that area before. But the real question is how much the Wolves can trust the depth behind Gobert when the rotation tightens, especially with several players still needing to prove they can handle meaningful minutes in a consistent role. The team believes there is enough talent there to piece it together, though the answer will probably come only after the season gives the frontcourt a chance to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]