Terrence Shannon Jr. is heading into a season that could define where he fits in Minnesota’s plans.
That’s the reality for a Timberwolves team that has shown, under Tim Connelly, it won’t sit still if it thinks a move can push the ceiling higher. Connelly has already shown a willingness to deal major assets, from the lottery pick he moved in his second year to the fan favorite he shipped out over the last half-year. He also made the all-in Rudy Gobert swing when he first arrived, a deal plenty of people questioned because of how much draft capital went out the door.
So when it comes to Shannon, the message is pretty clear: this is a big year.
The 27th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft is preparing for his third NBA season, and if the growth doesn’t show up in a meaningful way, it wouldn’t be a shock if Minnesota eventually uses him as part of a trade for a more established player.
Age is a big part of why the pressure is on. When the Timberwolves dealt Rob Dillingham at the trade deadline in February, he had just turned 21 the month before.
Shannon will already be 26 in four days. He came into the league as an older prospect after five seasons in college, which makes the projection a little different than it is for many first-rounders who are still barely out of one-and-done territory.
That matters because Shannon still hasn’t had a clean runway to establish himself. As a rookie, he was often outside the rotation.
Last season, two separate left-foot injuries kept him out for about two and a half months. Development gets a lot harder when the minutes aren’t there.
There’s at least a path to a larger role right now. Chris Finch has said he doesn’t see Jaden McDaniels opening the season as the starting power forward, and Tim Connelly has said the four could be filled by players fans wouldn’t expect to see there. Some around the team see Shannon as one of those possibilities and believe he could slide into the starting five.
For Shannon, the skill set is there to make a case. In college, he was good at drawing fouls and getting to the line.
That hasn’t translated nearly as often in the NBA, and it needs to if he wants more run. He’s also an accurate outside shooter, which makes it even more important that he doesn’t leave open looks on the table and starts taking more 3-pointers.
At 26, he’s not exactly the kind of young player teams can wait forever on. This third season feels pivotal if Shannon wants to stay in Minnesota for the long haul.
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The question is whether that versatility becomes a real advantage or a compromise. Dosunmu can help on the wing, but asking him to live there full time also brings size and rebounding concerns into sharper focus, especially for a team already trying to reshape its frontcourt balance. If Minnesota is going to make this leaner look work, it may end up relying on Dosunmu in a role that is useful, but not without risk. [Read more 🡒]
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For now, the challenge is less about urgency than patience, because the market at power forward does not appear especially rich in obvious solutions. Minnesota did add Trey Lyles, but his role is still something of a question after a year away from the NBA, and the more practical path may be to wait until the trade market opens up later in the season. For a fan base that has seen Connelly make meaningful moves before, this has the feel of a trust test: do you believe help is coming, or do you worry the answer is still out there somewhere? [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Finally Has A Shot At The NBA's Best Backcourt
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The real test, of course, is how it looks once the season starts and the league gets a full read on the fit. Minnesota will be measured against other elite guard tandems around the NBA, but the Wolves case is especially intriguing because the ceiling is so high and the margin for error is so small. For now, the idea of Edwards and Ball being the best backcourt in basketball is more a challenge than a conclusion, and the answer will come only after the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]