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

#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.