5 worst NBA draft decisions by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 21st century

Minnesota Timberwolves have the number 1 pick in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft. Their previous number 1 pick was Karl-Anthony Towns back in 2015, a player who has now become the face of the franchise.

While the Timberwolves have had some success in picking the right players in NBA drafts, they've also made some terrible mistakes in the past that still haunts them. In this article, let's take a look at some of their biggest draft-night mistakes in the 21st century.

5 worst NBA draft decisions by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 21st century

The Minnesota Timberwolves have struggled for the most part of the 21st century. After the Kevin Garnett era in the early 2000s, the Timberwolves only made the NBA playoffs once in the last 16 years.

With just a few days left for the 2020 NBA draft, they'll be hoping to select a player who could go on to become a superstar and help them get back into playoff contention. On that note, let us take a look at five of their worst NBA draft decisions in the past two decades:

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#5 Jamal Murray

Denver Nuggets vs Boston Celtics

In the recent 2016 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves picked Kris Dunn with their number 5 pick. However, he failed to transition into the big league and struggled throughout the year. He was sent back multiple times to the NBA G League and was traded the very next season to the Chicago Bulls.

“I just want to win... in life you find things that hold value to you, find things to fight for, and we found things worth fighting for.”Jamal Murray’s (@BeMore27) emotional 50-PT performance in Game 6 of Round 1. The @nuggets would go on to make the Western Conference Finals. pic.twitter.com/eiXjEvxt9f

— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2020

The Timberwolves could have instead picked Buddy Hield or Jamal Murray, who were drafted at number 6 and number 7 respectively. Jamal Murray just had a historically significant season with the Denver Nuggets and was their best scorer during their run to the Western Conference Finals.

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#4 DeMarcus Cousins

Golden State Warriors Media Day

Here's another top 5 pick that the Minnesota Timberwolves messed up in the past. During the 2010 NBA draft, they picked Wesley Johnson over DeMarcus Cousins with their fourth pick.

HERE LIES KYLE KUZMA. BURIED BY DEMARCUS COUSINS. pic.twitter.com/nG9fdlz15s

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 3, 2019

While Johnson was traded after two ordinary seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cousins averaged 14.1 points and made it to the 2011 All-Rookie team in his first season. Cousins has since earned four All-Star appearances and has had multiple seasons averaging over 25 points with the Sacramento Kings.

#3 Russell Westbrook

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Charlotte Hornets

The Minnesota Timberwolves made more than one mistake in the 2008 NBA Draft night. One: they drafted OJ Mayo and traded him away immediately to the Memphis Grizzlies. Two: they missed out on an opportunity to pick Russell Westbrook, who was drafted at number 5 by the Seattle SuperSonics.

Russell Westbrook Named As The 2017 NBA MVP https://t.co/qfBpnlPkJT via @SwaysUniverse pic.twitter.com/lFWYnVu7yo

— Sway Calloway (@RealSway) July 1, 2017

After his NBA debut, Westbrook has made it to the All-Star team on nine different occasions and was even the NBA MVP in 2017.

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#2 Stephen Curry

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Golden State Warriors - Game Seven

Minnesota Timberwolves had two top 10 picks in the 2009 NBA draft. However, they missed a golden opportunity to draft Steph Curry on both occasions. The Wolves picked Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn with their number 5 and number 6 picks, leaving Steph Curry for the Golden State Warriors at number 7.

Curry has now established himself as the best shooter in the modern NBA and has won two NBA MVP awards so far. The Minnesota Timberwolves could have changed the fate of their franchise had they drafted Curry with one of their picks that year.

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#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks vs Los Angeles Clippers

This is another NBA draft night blunder that the Wolves will regret forever. In 2013, they picked Trey Burke with their 9th pick and then chose Shabazz Muhammad (via Utah Jazz) with their 14th pick. The next draft pick on the night was Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Another year, another MVP award for Giannis 🏆 (via @wojespn) pic.twitter.com/evseSZCLYN

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 18, 2020

News reports after the draft revealed that the Minnesota Timberwolves nearly picked Giannis Antetokounmpo with their 14th pick but went with Shabazz Muhammad at the last moment. They could have been a dominant force in the Western Conference had they selected the 2-time MVP instead.