Drew Timme's Camp Spot Shows How Far the Timberwolves Organization Has Come

Not too long ago, a player of Drew Timme's caliber would be rolling into training camp for the Minnesota Timberwolves with guaranteed regular season minutes in his future.

A previous minute-eater for teams that were considered to be tanking (sorry, Brooklyn Nets), or a stopgap starter for an injury-plagued Los Angeles Laker team last season, Timme has found himself in spots where getting on an NBA floor was more of a guarantee than a question mark.

Drew Timme vs Blazers:
- 21 Points
- 4 Assists
- 87.5 TS% pic.twitter.com/BY2y4ZipdS
— Laker Performances (@LALPerformance) January 18, 2026

This season, he heads to Mayo Clinic Square with none of the aforementioned being guaranteed. And in fact, he's on the outside looking in from it.

The Timberwolves have not necessarily been an exemplary organization historically. Just a few years ago in the 2019-20 season, similar caliber veterans in Treveon Graham, Shabazz Napier, Jordan Bell, and Jake Layman would find their way into starting five minutes.

Alexey Shved, anyone? What about Lou Amundson or Chase Budinger?

Case rested. At one point in time, with the Target Center lower bowl a fraction full, some of the lineups that would take the floor boasted a substantially lower caliber than the ones that Timme was an active participant in over the last few years. An organization that would have to overpay relative to the talent that it was able to acquire has found its way to turn those tables completely over the last five years.

Now, Timme comes into training camp with the Wolves competing for a roster spot.

While unlikely to land one right away, a freer-flowing offense like the one the Wolves like to run fits a higher-IQ player like the former Gonzaga forward. As a slower-moving wing-forward combo, he fits well with some of the sets head coach Chris Finch likes to run. Being used as a hub in the preseason in his extremely limited minutes as a dribble handoff initiator with some of the other bench pieces, he's also able to give the ability to space the floor next to Joan Beringer with that group. As exhibition games move forward and the starting group's minutes become fewer and far between, Timme's six minutes in game one will likely grow.

His 135 offensive rating against the Milwaukee Bucks was the highest on the team, as he found himself part of the group at the end of the game that helped the Wolves' end of the bench pull away from the Bucks.

This shouldn't be read into as some massive coup for the Timberwolves. Timme is a decorated college player who has carved out a back-and-forth professional career for himself. But his decision, along with KJ Martin's to go to Minnesota reflect a broader trend that shouldn't be ignored with the organization. Solid camp players who likely have several options in places they could go to, and perhaps have even better odds of making a full-time roster, are choosing Finch and the Wolves because of the players they end up being around in camp.

The subtle reputation of being able to repurpose and redevelop veteran players in the middle stages of their career is also not being ignored. Look no further than the well-covered Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes this summer.

Get Timberwolves On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google