Best Timberwolves Players of All Time

Many talented and big-name players have come through the Minnesota Timberwolves organization since its inception in 1989, but who are the best players to ever put on the Timberwolves jersey?

Through some ups and plenty of downs throughout the history of the franchise, we ranked the top five Timberwolves players of all time. 

5. Sam Mitchell

For the fifth spot on this list, there’s no real favorite or clear player to place here. But we are going with Sam Mitchell to round out the top five Timberwolves, an individual who spent time with the organization both as a player and coach. Other players considered in this spot were Wally Szczerbiak, Tom Gugliotta, Al Jefferson and Sam Cassell, though you could make an argument for even more than those four. But Mitchell is the player who comes in at No. 5 on our list, in part due to the bias of him being part of the organization in two key roles over his lifetime.

Before his coaching career began, Mitchell spent a total of 10 seasons as a player in Minnesota, playing in a total of 757 games while averaging 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. After his long tenure with the Timberwolves, Mitchell wound up second on team’s all-time list of games played, ranking fourth in points and fifth in rebounds. 

Though he was never selected as an All-Star, Mitchell quickly became a fan favorite in the early years of the franchise, something that remains this day. And he is worthy of being named among the greatest players in Timberwolves history. 

4. Karl-Anthony Towns

A player who has received a lot of criticism over his NBA career is Karl-Anthony Towns, a former No. 1 overall pick who has been under the microscope his entire tenure in the league. But KAT hasn’t let that impact him and just keeps working on a nightly basis, and those efforts have landed him in the top five players of all-time in franchise history. 

Towns has been and continues to be one of the best shooting big men the Timberwolves — and perhaps the NBA — has ever seen, and he also has the ability to attack the paint and hurt opposing defenses in multiple other ways. Towns, at the age of 28, concluded his ninth year in Minnesota in 2023-24, putting together another strong campaign that ended with him averaging north of 20 points for the eighth straight year. Over his career, Towns’ resume features a 2016 Rookie of the Year award, four All-Star appearances and two All-NBA honors. In 573 career games in Minnesota, KAT has averaged 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. 

Towns might receive more criticism than the average NBA player, and that could be due to the incredibly high expectations for him as the top overall pick. But he has had a strong career with the Timberwolves now entering Year 10, and he is worthy of a spot in this top five list. 

Though he was never selected as an All-Star, Mitchell quickly became a fan favorite in the early years of the franchise, something that remains this day. And he is worthy of being named among the greatest players in Timberwolves history. 

3. Kevin Love

From the moment he stepped on the court with the Timberwolves in 2008, Kevin Love became one of the top players on the team and went on to become one of the best offensive players the franchise has ever seen. Though his tenure in Minnesota was overshadowed with multiple losing seasons and less-than-average teams, Love goes down as one of the best to ever put on a Timberwolves jersey. 

Before Love was traded to Cleveland in 2014 to join LeBron James and the new Cavaliers’ Big Three, he stormed onto the scene with six stellar seasons in Minnesota. Love, who earned three All-Star appearances, one Most Improved Player award and MVP votes in multiple seasons, averaged 19.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 364 games with the Timberwolves. 

Whether it was his tendency to tally a double-double, being able air the ball out from three, or his ability to show off his passing skills with full-court passes, Love led the way for numerous Timberwolves teams as the best player on the court over his first six NBA seasons.  

2. Anthony Edwards

Though he just completed his fourth season in the NBA and with Minnesota in 2023-24, Anthony Edwards is already one of the best players in franchise history and could overtake the top spot in the coming years if his current trajectory continues. 

Edwards has not only helped the Timberwolves get back to relevancy, but he has taken the state and the entire league over by storm with his play and his personality to match it. Entering his fifth season in 2024-25, Edwards has career averages of 22.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals over 302 games with Minnesota, already ranking in the top six in franchise history in points scored. Edwards, who represented the United States in the Paris Olympics, has earned two All-Star selections, one All-NBA honor and even received MVP votes during the 2023-24 campaign. 

Edwards is taking the NBA over by storm, and could not only one day become the face of the league, but could also soon be known as the greatest player the franchise has ever seen.  

1. Kevin Garnett

The top player on the list of best Timberwolves players of all time is an easy one. There is no better player to ever put on the Timberwolves jersey than The Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett.

Garnett spent a total of 14 seasons in Minnesota, including a brief stint at the end of his career before retiring. In his time in a Timberwolves No. 21 jersey, KG earned one MVP award in 2004, earned 10 All-Star selections, was named All-NBA Defensive First Team six times, and more. Along with those accolades, Garnett remains as the franchise leader in nearly every statistical category, including games played, points scored, rebounds and much more. In his tenure with the Timberwolves, Garnett averaged 19.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals over 970 games. 

Without a doubt, the greatest Timberwolves player of all time is KG.