Wolves May Regret Letting Nickeil Alexander-Walker Become a Star Elsewhere

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, one of the fan favorites in Minnesota for a couple of seasons, has exploded into a star for the Atlanta Hawks. How he slipped away from the Timberwolves isn't tough to figure out, but it could go down as a significant miss for president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

Minnesota dealt Alexander-Walker to the Hawks in a sign-and-trade last summer, with Atlanta sending Minnesota a 2027 second-round pick and cash considerations before signing a four-year, $62 million deal. That second-round pick was then included in Minnesota's package to acquire Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls.

Dosunmu is due to become a free agent this summer, and signing him will probably cost Minnesota three years and $52.4 million, which is the max they can offer him before the June 30 deadline. They can increase their offer to five years on July 1, but Dosunmu could then entertain offers from others, essentially driving up the price.

While Dosunmu could turn into a fixture in Minnesota's starting lineup if he signs an extension, it's hard not to wonder if Alexander-Walker will become Atlanta's version of Jalen Brunson in New York.

Alexander-Walker went from playing a role off the bench (he finished sixth in the Sixth Man of the Year vote) and averaging 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 2024-25 to becoming a starter in Atlanta, where he's averaging 20.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He's also shooting 45.7% overall, 39.9% from three, and 90.2% at the free-throw line.

Alexander-Walker ranks fourth in the NBA with 244 made three-pointers this season. Only Luka Doncic (254), LaMelo Ball (255), and Kon Knueppel (265) have made more.

Brunson was fourth in the Sixth Man of the Year vote with Dallas in 2020-21, and then started 61 of 78 games in 2021-22 while averaging 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists with the Mavericks. As soon as he was traded to the Knicks, he jumped into the annual MVP conversation while averaging 26.3 points and 6.8 assists over the last four seasons.

Minnesota had tough choices to make last summer. They could only afford two of three key players: Alexander-Walker, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid. They decided to re-sign Randle and Reid, while Terrence Shannon Jr. was supposed to fill Alexander-Walker's shoes.

Shannon Jr., through struggles and injuries, hasn't filled the void, and Minnesota wound up trading Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks to the Bulls for Dosunmu.

If Dosunmu signs an extension and produces at a level like Alexander-Walker, then all will be right with the world. But if Dosunmu leaves in free agency or doesn't play at Alexander-Walker's level, then Minnesota might forever regret the decision to let Alexander-Walker go.