Kevin Garnett is finally about to get the jersey retirement he’s long been waiting for, and that moment could also sharpen the next big question hanging over the Timberwolves’ rafters.
On February 28, Minnesota will retire Garnett’s No. 21 when the Timberwolves host the Boston Celtics. He’ll join Malik Sealy, whose No. 2 is already up there, as the only players honored by the franchise in that way. Bill Russell’s No. 6 is universally retired.
After KG, the conversation turns to who might follow. Anthony Edwards is clearly on that path, but he’s only 25, so that discussion is still years away. For now, the real debate comes down to two names: Kevin Love and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Love’s case starts with production. He arrived in Minnesota in 2008 and spent his first six seasons there, putting together a résumé that includes three All-Star nods, two All-NBA Second Team selections, and the league’s Most Improved Player award in 2010-11.
Across his Timberwolves years, he averaged 19.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. He also delivered one of the most memorable stat lines in team history with a 31-point, 31-rebound game on November 12, 2010, against the New York Knicks.
The complication is the team results. Minnesota wasn’t especially successful during Love’s run, and that’s the question hovering over whether No. 42 ever gets retired.
Towns, by contrast, looks like a much safer bet. He turns 31 in November and just played a major role on the New York Knicks’ championship team. Drafted first overall in 2015, he spent nine seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to New York.
In Minnesota, the 7-footer made four All-Star teams, earned two All-NBA Third Team honors, and won Rookie of the Year in 2015-16. Over those nine seasons, he averaged 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks. He also remains deeply popular in Minnesota and was active in the community, which makes his No. 32 feel like a near certainty for retirement.
So the question isn’t really whether Towns will get there. It’s whether Love will join him. With Edwards still so young, it would be a surprise if his career ended before either of those decisions had to be made.
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That matters because the Wolves lost several veteran voices this offseason, the sort of departures that can leave a leadership gap as much as a basketball one. But there is growing belief around the group that the coaching staffs experience, along with leadership developing from within the locker room, may be enough to steady things without another established veteran. A versatile power forward remains a possibility, though, so the final shape of the roster is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
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Anthony Edwards Sent A Clear Message About The Wolves Right Now
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Theres still plenty of confidence inside the room, though, and that matters for a team trying to sort out its identity in a loaded Western Conference. Edwards pointed to Minnesotas belief that it can hang with quality opponents as the Wolves keep working through the early stages of this new era, with the larger question less about whether the talent is there and more about how quickly the pieces start to click. [Read more 🡒]