Minnesota Timberwolves: 2018 NBA Draft grades

The Minnesota Timberwolves added two players in the 2018 NBA Draft to address the team’s biggest needs. Here are draft grades for each pick they made.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had a lot of pressure going into the 2018 NBA Draft. There really isn’t a simpler way to put it. They needed depth on the bench, youth and cheap contracts. Some of their other big needs were players that could shoot 3s and play defense.

The Wolves made a big move last year in acquiring All-Star wing Jimmy Butler. However, despite not making that huge plunge on draft night, the Wolves still made good moves in drafting Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop.

They weren’t picks that many people were hoping for because a lot of Minnesota fans had their eyes set out on some big names. Despite not doing so, the Wolves quietly had one of the best drafts out of all the NBA teams.

It wasn’t a big splash, but enough to add what they desperately need — not to mention the fact that the Wolves are tight with salary cap space, so cheap contracts are a huge help. No one expected Bates-Diop to be that far down in the second round, but I don’t think many people in Minnesota are complaining about that.

Tom Thibodeau doesn’t play his rookies as much as he should, but I think these two players will force him to give them more minutes, especially if injuries come around or if they start to show out and become valuable pieces off the bench.

They probably won’t be All-Stars or even star players in the league, but they should be valuable assets on any roster. Here’s a look at how the Wolves did on draft night.