After trading a quartet of future first-round picks to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert in the 2022 offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves were projected to take a step toward contention going into the 2022-23 season. Many sites had them improving their win total, and numerous pundits prognosticated a positive outlook. However, throughout the year, Minnesota’s chemistry looked off and 21 games into the season, Karl Anthony-Towns went down with a calf injury and didn’t return until late March.
The team traded for Mike Conley Jr. at the trade deadline, an upgrade from D’Angelo Russell at the point guard position, but they finished a lower seed than the year before and lost in the first round in five games to the Denver Nuggets.