2017–18 Minnesota Timberwolves season


The 2017–18 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the 29th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association.
They clinched their first winning season since 2005 with a win over the New York Knicks on March 23, 2018. On April 11, 2018, the Timberwolves clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2004 with a win over the Denver Nuggets, ending what was the longest post-season drought in the NBA at the time, at 13 seasons to pass the Sacramento Kings to currently make the longest postseason NBA drought. The last time the Wolves made the playoffs was during the Kevin Garnett era where he led them to the Conference Finals that year. The Wolves this season also signed free agent Derrick Rose after considering signing with teams such as the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Washington Wizards and the signing reunited Rose with former Chicago Bulls teammates Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and coach Tom Thibodeau, all of whom were part of the 2011 Bulls team who made the Eastern Conference Finals, and was also Rose's MVP season where he became the youngest player to ever win the award.
They finished the regular season with 47–35, which clinched the 8th seed. In the playoffs, the Timberwolves faced the top-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round, and lost in five games.
As of 2019, this season marked the last time the Timberwolves made the playoffs.

Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
116Justin PattonCCreighton

Entering the draft, the Timberwolves only held one first round pick at #7; their second round pick was forced to be traded away to the Boston Celtics due to a previous trade involving the Phoenix Suns allowing the Suns to acquire their 2017 second round pick if their lottery protected pick wasn't acquired by 2016. Exiting draft night, however, they traded away their #7 pick, which was the Finnish center/power forward Lauri Markkanen from University of Arizona, alongside last year's top selection and Zach LaVine to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for All-Star shooting guard/small forward Jimmy Butler and the Bulls' own first round selection, which was #16 pick Justin Patton, a redshirt freshman center from Creighton University for the purpose of ending their 13 year long playoff drought.

Roster

Standings

Division

Conference

Game log

Preseason

Regular season

Playoffs

Transactions

Trades

Free agents

Re-signed

Additions

Subtractions