5 players unlikely to return with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 2021-22 NBA Season

The Minnesota Timberwolves endured yet another disappointing campaign in the 2020-21 NBA season. They had high hopes of making it to the postseason and had the necessary tools to get the job done as well. However, injuries troubled the team throughout the season, and ultimately proved to be their shortcoming.

Nonetheless, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a lot of positives to take home from the campaign. When the 2020-21 season arrives, they will hope to be in contention again to make the NBA playoffs.

Mark my word Minnesota timberwolves will be in the playoffs at the end of the year they will fight for a championship years to come very special group....! 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️

— King me (@sammywatkins) December 18, 2020

For that to happen, though, they will have a lot of work to do during the offseason and their primary objective will be to make improvements to their squad.

As usual, not all players are likely to stay on with the team. Some may leave via trade or in free agency depending on what the management plans for their future. On that note, let's take a look at the five players that could see an end to their tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer.

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5 players likely to part ways with the Minnesota Timberwolves next season

#5 Ed Davis

Ed Davis is one of the players who will be out of contract this offseason. He was used sparingly in the 2020-21 NBA season, featuring in just 23 games with 13 minutes of playing time on average. He is the likeliest player to leave the Minnesota Timberwolves in the offseason as a free agent.

#4 Jordan McLaughlin

Minnesota Timberwolves's Jordan McLaughlin in action

Jordan McLaughlin was one of two players on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster with a two-way contract. He had a terrific second half in the 2019-2020 campaign but wasn't successful in receiving a long-term contract for the 2020-21 season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will likely get rid of a lot more guards who are higher in the pecking order than McLaughlin. He is a decent option to keep because of his pocket-friendly contract, but questions remain over his ability to deliver if he is given more minutes.

Additionally, McLaughlin is quite inexperienced and the Timberwolves didn't seem to rely on him much during the 2020-21 NBA season either. He played a limited role off the bench, averaging 18 minutes, five points and 3.8 assists per game.

2020-21 All-Wolves teams:1st: D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Karl-Anthony Towns 2nd: Ricky Rubio, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Josh Okogie, Jaylen Nowell3rd: Ed Davis, Jarrett Culver, Jordan McLaughlin, Juancho Hernangomez, Jake Layman

— Canis Hoopus (@canishoopus) June 16, 2021

#3 Jarrett Culver

Minnesota Timberwolves #23 Jarrett Culver in action against the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2020-21 season

Jarrett Culver initially received a good chunk of playing time this season, averaging 20 minutes per game in January. He often came off the Minnesota Timberwolves bench as an impact substitute. However, the number six pick of the 2019 NBA draft is set to earn roughly $6 million next season, which is deemed to be a negative value at the moment.

The biggest reason for this is Culver's long-term ankle injury that has kept him out for the entire season. He also fell out of the rotation after a string of poor performances before his injury. Culver's position as a top-six draft pick adds to his trade value, which is an additional reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves would be inclined to part ways with the forward.

#2 Ricky Rubio

Ricky Rubio of the Minnesota Timberwolves in action

Ricky Rubio is one of the best trade blocks the Minnesota Timberwolves can use to improve their roster for next season. Rubio will earn northwards of $17 million next season, which will take a hit on the Timberwolves cap space.

Trading him would allow the team to be more flexible in approaching the free season. It will also help them acquire a 2021 first-round pick, which they do not have at the moment.

He has one year left on his current contract, and his experience and leadership could be valuable to teams that are inclined to trade for him. The Minnesota Timberwolves seem to have made the decision to start Anthony Edwards on the backcourt along with D'Angelo Russell, which would make Rubio surplus to requirements next season.

𝟑𝐱 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐋𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠(535 more points than the next closest rookie)𝟏𝟕𝟏 𝟑-𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬(2nd most among rookies)𝟖𝟐 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬(2nd most among rookies) 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐔𝐍𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄 pic.twitter.com/9tPtFmmf2y

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) June 16, 2021

#1 Malik Beasley

Malik Beasley in action for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Malik Beasley continued where he left off from in the 2019-2020 season and averaged 19.6 points on 44% shooting from the floor in the 2020-21 NBA season. However, he faced a season-ending injury in April, which shortened his season to just 37 games. With Anthony Edwards deemed to be the starting shooting guard for the future, Beasley could be on the move this summer.

He could potentially be a terrific bench player for the team, but the lack of draft picks could force the Minnesota Timberwolves to trade him this offseason. Beasley is arguably the best player to trade on their roster and has the most positive value among their tradeable assets this summer.