The Minnesota Timberwolves have not made a ton of grid movements this summer or brought in a large number of new faces. But they did see one big departure when Nickeil Alexander-Walker chose to draw with the Atlanta Hawks, which is a movement that only lies up for them as time passes.
Naw had become a favorite with fans in Minnesota and an important gear in the rotation of Chris Finch. He proved his value in a great way from the moment he arrived in the Twin Cities until his departure, and his contributions were great to help this team reach the heights they have seen in the past two years.
Alexander-Walker arrived in the Twin Cities as a three-and-D man who still had much to prove. At that time he could not have really stayed somewhere in his career, and the jury was still out if he could be a real needle movement producer at the NBA level.
Man, he quickly reversed that story. Naw was actually only a complicated piece from the three-team deal in February 2023 with the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz who produced the Wolves Mike Conley. He turned out to be one of the most valuable players who were included in that trade for each team.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s talent will be missed
Statistically, Alexander-Walker was extremely consistent with his production between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He played both years in all 82 games and shot efficiently while holding it as a strong point-of-attack defender and played a very smart brand of basketball on both ends of the field.
When Nickeil became the sixth in Sixth Man of the Year who voted last season, this was partly due to the incredible mentality he brought to the ground for the Timberwolves every time out. This is a man who likes to win more than anything, and he will sacrifice everything he needs for the well -being of the team.
Every time NAW stepped for a microphone for an interview in Minnesota, he was always incredibly down to earth and insightful with his answers. He was the perfect example of an underdog that was seen as a side issue of other teams, but was not more valuable for the wolves.
That together contains why he was so loved by this fan base. And it points out how much the former coaches and teammates of Alexander-Walker will miss to have him in the neighborhood. The wolves still have a great team for next season, but it will not be the same without number nine.
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