Terrence Shannon Jr. enters the season in a tricky spot with the Timberwolves, and the path forward is starting to look narrow.
Over his first two years in Minnesota, Shannon has never locked down a steady place in the rotation. The upside has been obvious, though. He’s shown real juice as a downhill scorer and as a shot creator, and that was especially clear in the playoffs, where he averaged 11.8 points this past season.
The problem is fit. Shannon has been more effective when the ball is in his hands, and Chris Finch said as much during the playoffs. The question now is whether Shannon is actually polished enough as an on-ball player to justify that kind of role, especially on a roster with so much established talent already in place.
That leaves Shannon with two possible ways to become a meaningful part of the Wolves’ rotation: he either has to keep developing as a creator, or he has to become far better in a complementary role. If neither happens, his time in Minnesota could be running out.
There’s no question Shannon can help a team. The issue is whether he can help this one in the right way. Last season made it clear that he does his best work with the ball, but it’s hard to see the Timberwolves carving out enough of that kind of usage for him.
LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, and Ayo Dosunmu are all slated for more on-ball responsibilities than Shannon. Maybe he can chip away at some creation work from the latter three. Even then, McDaniels deserves more usage, and Dosunmu is a gifted downhill scorer.
Shannon’s creation game also has some rough edges. His right hand is a major weakness, and he can drift into tunnel vision. Those issues matter if he’s being asked to carry more of the offense.
If Minnesota can’t give him enough on-ball reps, his role could shrink again, just like it did last season. He did shoot 40 percent from 3-point range overall, but he made only 34 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. Put that together with shaky playmaking and lackluster defense, and he has a hard time fitting as a pure complementary piece.
He could still improve in those areas, or take another step as a creator. But if that growth doesn’t come, Shannon figures to become a prime trade candidate before long.
Even without a major leap, he can still be a useful microwave scorer. The issue is that Minnesota doesn’t really have a need for that kind of role.
His $5 million team option next summer doesn’t create a huge financial burden, but it does force a decision. Is Shannon part of the long-term future? If the answer is no, and that seems possible depending on how much he develops, then the Timberwolves should seriously consider moving him at the deadline.
There should be interest around the league, given the flashes Shannon has already shown. Minnesota could look to bring back another intriguing young player at a position of need, such as a third-string center, or use him to add to the draft capital it currently doesn’t have much of, even if that only means second-round picks.
For now, Shannon is at a crossroads. If the progress doesn’t come, he could be playing somewhere else sooner than expected.
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