Oct 16, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
The start of the 2024-25 NBA season is right around the corner, and ESPN has released its annual NBA Rank counting down the top 100 players in the association. How many Wolves made the cut? Which ones should've been higher or lower? Let's dive in and offer our thoughts.
Conley, who is heading into his 18th NBA season, remains as steady as they come. Perhaps the most telling stat about Conley's impact with the Timberwolves: Minnesota went 53-23 with Conley in the starting lineup and 3-3 in the six games he missed before making a run to the Western Conference finals. He is still a stellar facilitator (5.9 assists per game) who has flourished playing off the ball more alongside Anthony Edwards, shooting a career-best 44.2% from 3-point range last season. -- Tim MacMahon
That feels about right for Conley, who still deserves to be on the list at age 37.
From Minnesota cult hero to NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Reid makes his top-100 debut. He has transformed into a key player for the Wolves, averaging a career-high 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 81 games, as both a key reserve and as a spot starter (the team went 10-4 when Reid started last season). The Wolves, after trading Karl-Anthony Towns, will lean on Reid even more. -- Jamal Collier
I don't know if Reid deserves to be higher than 87th right now, but I'd be willing to bet that he moves up in next year's list.
Four years into his career yet only 24 years old, the 6-9, 185-pound McDaniels -- who boasts a 7-foot wingspan -- has been aligned by Minnesota management to be the Scottie Pippen to Anthony Edwards' Michael Jordan for years to come. In the modern NBA game, where positions are increasingly fluid, McDaniels is a prototypical defender who can switch on to all five spots and suffocate the opponent from the perimeter to the paint. The Wolves bet big on him, too, trading away a former franchise pillar in Towns just as McDaniels' salary shot from $3.9 million to $23 million -- meaning they're counting on a production spike out of McDaniels to match. -- Dave McMenamin
McDaniels is also making his top 100 debut after being named second team All-Defense last year. It would be big if he can become more of a scorer this season. If that happens, he too could move up on next year's list.
A huge part of the Knicks' attack last season, DiVincenzo drilled a whopping 283 triples in 2023-24 -- third most in the NBA and nearly double the number he canned the season before, when he worked alongside Stephen Curry in Golden State. The 27-year-old might still have a decent amount of upside, too. He averaged nearly 23 points in New York's seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal series. Expect DiVincenzo to be a key contributor with the Wolves, who will fully embrace his shooting ability now that Karl-Anthony Towns is a Knick. -- Chris Herring
I actually think this might be a bit low for DiVincenzo, who is going to be a perfect fit in the Wolves' backcourt. He and Reid might battle each other for 6th man of the year honors this season.
The 29-year-old had turbulent moments during his six-season run with the Knicks; particularly in the playoffs. But the team undoubtedly missed his playmaking and secondary scoring this past postseason while Randle nursed his dislocated shoulder. Randle, a two-time All-NBA selection who has generally been one of the healthiest players in the league in recent years, now heads to Minnesota, where he'll play alongside rising superstar Anthony Edwards. It will be worth seeing how Randle's presence impacts the Wolves' spacing, but his passing is underrated and he has the potential to help the team's offense a considerable amount.-- Chris Herring
This feels a little low for a two-time All-NBA (AKA top 15) player, but Randle arguably has something to prove after coming over to Minnesota. Away from the pressure of New York, he should be in line for a big season.
After a difficult transition year with the Timberwolves, Gobert anchored the NBA's top-ranked defense en route to collecting his record-tying fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. He also averaged a double-double (14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds per game) for the eighth straight season. There's a narrative that Gobert gets played off the floor in the playoffs, but Minnesota outscored playoff foes by 95 points in his 512 minutes and were minus-28 in 256 minutes without him. -- Tim MacMahon
With Karl-Anthony Towns (ranked No. 30 on this list) gone, Gobert is now the Wolves' second-best player. He's limited in what he can do offensively, but all he really needs to do is set screens and finish at the rim. The four-time DPOY remains elite on the other end of the floor.
Edwards was the breakout star of the 2024 season with an All-Star appearance, an All-NBA selection and a dominant performance in the playoffs that peaked with a Wolves victory over the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the second round. Edwards averaged 27.8 points on 48% shooting and led the Wolves to their first conference finals since 2004. He then followed it up this summer by playing a key role for Team USA's gold medal campaign in the Paris Olympics. With the NBA in the midst of an unprecedented run of international players dominating both the MVP race and discussions on the best players in the league, the 23-year-old has an opportunity to grab the mantle as the league's next best American-born player. -- Jamal Collier
This is high praise for Edwards, who rose three spots from last year's list after the best season of his career. He's one spot behind Kevin Durant and ahead of players like Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, and Devin Booker. Edwards, who finished seventh in MVP voting last year, absolutely has top-10 talent. Can he put that on display all season as the unquestioned alpha of this Wolves team? Shooting efficiency, off-ball movement, playmaking, and defensive focus are all things to monitor with Ant this year. When he's on his game, he's as dangerous as anyone in the league.
The Wolves are the only team in the NBA with seven players in the top 100. The Celtics, Thunder, and Knicks each have six. That tells you a lot about their talent and depth heading into this season.