The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is complete, and Terrence Shannon Jr. has a new home.
It was a great two-year run with the Illinois basketball program, as Shannon took the Illini to great heights. But it was time for him to spread his wings and find a new home in the NBA.
While there were some landmines when it came to potential landing spots, the Minnesota Timberwolves stepped up at pick No. 27 and took Shannon. This was a great pick for the Timberwolves.
Here are three big reasons why the Minnesota Timberwolves were a perfect landing spot for Terrence Shannon Jr.
1. NBA Championship ring is a legitimate possibility
When the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft got to pick No. 20, I started to really lock-in. Which franchise was going to take Terrence Shannon Jr?
I pegged the two New York Knicks picks as a strong possibility. They picked No. 24 and No. 25. They traded No. 24 to the Washington Wizards, and I was sweating that selection. I didn’t want Shannon to go to the Wizards.
Thankfully, Shannon dropped to No. 27. Just getting drafted into the NBA is a huge accomplishment, and landing anywhere among the 30 teams is a lifelong dream fulfilled. But let’s be honest, there are a handful of franchises in the NBA that are in purgatory. Washington is one of those franchises.
Landing in Washington might have gotten Shannon more playing time, but he is only going to win 15-20 games per season. With Minnesota selecting the former Illini guard, he now has a chance to not only get to the playoffs, but the Timberwolves are one of the favorites to win the NBA Championship.
In general, the back half of the first round had a lot of those franchises. Going in the top half of the first round would have been tough, but from pick No. 20 to No. 30, there were only the Wizards and Utah Jazz that gave me worry. I would argue, that besides the Denver Nuggets, the Timberwolves are best set up to make a run at the Larry O’Brien Trophy. This was a great landing spot for Shannon.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves have stability
I touched on how Terrence Shannon Jr. being picked by Minnesota was great because they have a solid chance to bring home some hardware next season. A big part of that championship possibility is that they are a stable franchise with the roster they have constructed.
Minnesota isn’t a one-man show. This team has talent from top to bottom, and they have one of the hot young stars in the league.
Anthony Edwards is in Minnesota for the long haul. He is going to be sensational for the Timberwolves for years to come, and just having him gives them a shot to win it all every season. But the talent goes much deeper than Edwards.
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best big men in the NBA. He has the ability to step out and shoot from anywhere on the floor. Having his floor-stretching ability is incredible. Alongside Towns is one of the best defensive big men in NBA history, Rudy Gobert. He has now won four Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Those three players are perennial All-Stars. The Timberwolves front office did a great job putting veteran pieces around those three as well. Shannon is going to come into a franchise that has direction and knows what they are doing. That is invaluable.
On top of the stability on the roster, Minnesota also doesn’t have to throw Shannon to the wolves. Their stability has created the time for Shannon to play limited minutes while learning the speed and nuance of the professional game. That is going to help him tremendously down the road.
3. Terrence Shannon Jr. provides a cheap contract in a tight salary cap situation
Minnesota is in win-now mode, which means they are looking to make moves and do what they can to win. Sometimes that means going over the salary cap.
The Big 3 I mentioned in the previous slide aren’t cheap. Anthony Edwards is entering his new contract. Karl-Anthony Towns has three more years on his deal. Rudy Gobert is signed through next season with a player option for 2025-26. Those three will account for roughly $135,372,586 next season.
According to Spotrac, Minnesota is severely over the cap. On the books for next season, the Timberwolves have to pay out $192,682,283 in salaries to players. That puts them over the second apron of the NBA salary cap, which has a threshold of $189,486,000. This means the Timberwolves are hard-capped and can’t really do anything besides sign their own players, sign draft picks, and sign players to league minimums.
Long story short, Minnesota needs cheap players. The way to get cheap players is to draft them. That is why the pick at No. 27 of Terrence Shannon Jr. is big for the Timberwolves.
Not only does Shannon bring a lot of talent, but he also brings a nice cheap contract compared to the talent he brings to the table. Shannon is exactly what Minnesota is looking for. He is a good player who doesn’t cost a lot and can help the team win.
I would argue Minnesota was the best landing spot for Shannon in the 2024 NBA Draft. Wednesday night could not have gone any better.