The list of terrible general managers in the NBA is a thankfully short one.  Sure, most GMs have made some boneheaded mistakes – signing Larry Hughes to a max contract, giving Darius Miles $40 million, trading Dirk Nowitzki for Robert Traylor – but  they will usually rebound with a solid trade, signing, or draft pick. 

However, there is one team that is unabashed about showing-off their glorious ineptitude in the NBA Draft. 

Your Minnesota Timberwolves are unquestionably the model for draft day self-annihilation over this millennium’s first decade.

Sure, a lot has to do with still - GM Kevin McHale's illegal signing of Joe Smith back in 2000. The league fined the franchise over $3 million and took away 5 draft picks from 2001 to 2005! 

How does a man in charge of the well being of a franchise, get caught cheating for an average “gain”, damage the majority of his franchise’s future assets, and keep his job?  Holy George W., Batman! 

Can anybody explain to me how Kevin McHale continued getting a very heavy paycheck after single-handedly ruining his team's future?  Perhaps it had to do with his "good behavior" (read: because Kevin Garnett is too good to flush away) that was sited as the reason they were returned their picks in 2003 and 2005.

Perhaps if Minnesota had fired Kevin McHale immediately they would have retained additional picks for “taking a hint.”

Now, ESPN’s Andy Katz tells us how impressed Kevin McHale is with 19 year-old, Spencer Hawes, the 7-foot, soft-bodied, dough-faced, center out of Washington.  McHale loves his post moves and reportedly, sees a lot of himself in Hawes.  The rumors go as far as to say that he has promised him at the 7th pick!

AHEM!!….The Wolves are said to have PROMISED SPENCER HAWES AT NUMBER 7.  Jeff Green anyone?  Perhaps Julian Wright, Corey Brewer or Al Thornton?  With the possible exception of Yi Jianlian, Spencer Hawes is the one name in the lottery that everyone agrees will be a project.   The other top prospects in this draft look to able to come in and contribute right away, yet it is McHale sitting in the 7-hole that seeks out another project! 

If this rumored promise is true, it is time for the NBA to either force Minnesota’s hand in severing ties with McHale, or time to go back to 29 teams.  Right now, all indications are that Hawes will be there at #7.  I would like to believe it’s more a promise to select Hawes but not necessarily as the seventh pick.   If McHale could trade down, there’s a slim chance that Hawes would be available after the lottery.

MINNY’S MANY MISTAKES WITH THEIR LAST THREE 1ST ROUNDERS

Who have his past projects been?  McHale has made plenty of moves and non-moves that can be picked apart, but for our stomachs’ and sanities’ sake we will only delve into the NBA Drafts of this decade.  Below I recount who he has called upon to assist KG and who he has foolishly passed up.

Player's he has past on or forfeit are in bold.

2006
It might be easiest for us to start with the most recent draft.  It was just a year ago that McHale used the 6th pick to land the most talented player in the draft, Brandon Roy.  Leave it to McHale to give him up minutes later for the undersized shooter, Randy Foye and some cash.

D'OH! Who thought this was a good deal?  A sure fire talent with an abundance of offensive and defensive skills for an undersized, less athletic spot-shooter? 

Foye was not a complete bust and finished the season averaging over 10 points per game.  Now, Minnesota has gotten rid of its most skilled PG and it appears Foye may be given the starting job ahead of former could-have-beens, Marko Jaric and Troy Hudson, a pair of Minnesota’s terrible, long-term contracts orchestrated under McHale.

Roy was the unanimous Rookie of the Year.

Later in the draft they found PF Craig Smith at number 36.  Smith was one of the surprises of last year.  I have little hesitation in noting that this may be McHale’s best pick this century.  We witnessed his productive rookie season which was largely a result of the ineffectiveness of the rest of the McHale-assembled roster.

Then at pick number 37, McHale saw the light in Bobby Jones.  No, don’t feel bad.  Its not just you, nobody knows who Bobby Jones is.  Daniel Gibson and Paul Millsap would be drafted 5 and 10 picks later respectively.

2005
In 2005 McHale drafts the popular Rashad McCants 14th overall.  McCants has played 112 games in his three years since.  He was supposed to be a deep threat but only shoots 34% from behind the arc.  Last season, on his way to averaging five points per game, McCants shot just 35% from the field.

Seemingly everyone drafted below McCants has proven better – Danny Granger (17), Gerald Green (18), Hakim Warrick (19), Jarrett Jack (22), Fernando Garcia (23), Jason Maxiell (26), and David Lee (30).  Monta Ellis was selected number 40.

In the second round Minnesota did its part for the Make-A-Wish Foundation by selecting Bracey Wright.  Bracey has played 26 games in the League, probably because of the disastrous personnel Coach Randy Wittman has at his disposal.