Heading into the 2016 draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves were armed with the No. 5 pick and were in prime position to land a foundational piece.
Calvin Booth, then the Director of Player Personnel for the Timberwolves, had identified a prospect who he deemed had immense potential. Jamal Murray, a combo guard out of Kentucky, caught Booth’s eye.
He bought into Murray’s sweet shooting stroke and thought it would translate at the next level. As the draft approached, he paid close attention to the fiery Canadian.
Though the Timberwolves scouted Murray heavily, Tom Thibodeau, only months removed from being hired as Minnesota’s coach and president of basketball operations, had a penchant for older, two-way players, and they went with a different guard.