Kevin Garnett leads the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise in rebounding.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have seen their fair share of talented big men since the franchise’s inception in 1989. Here’s a closer look at the Timberwolves’ top five career rebound leaders, an impressive list partly composed of one Hall of Famer and two players still active in the league today:
The foundation of Kevin Garnett’s Hall of Fame career was built with the Timberwolves, who drafted him fifth overall in 1995. Garnett averaged 6.3 boards per contest as a rookie. While a solid rebounding figure, it would be the low-water mark of his stellar NBA career. Garnett averaged between 8.0 and a career-high 13.9 rebounds per game the rest of his time in Minnesota, closing out his Wolves tenure with nine straight double-digit rebounding seasons.
Karl-Anthony Towns was traded to the New York Knicks shortly before the 2024-25 season, but he’ll be tied to the Timberwolves for the remainder of his career. The 2015 No. 1 pick repeatedly distinguished himself on the glass in Minnesota, averaging between 10.5 and 12.4 rebounds per contest during his first six seasons, and never falling below 8.1 rebounds per game.
Currently in his 17th season, Kevin Love spent the first six years of his NBA career in Minnesota after arriving in a draft-night trade with the Grizzlies in 2008. Love was active on the glass right from the jump, averaging 9.1 rebounds as a rookie before generating between 11.0 and a career-best 15.2 boards per contest over his remaining five Timberwolves seasons.
Dieng was traded to the Timberwolves on draft night in 2013. He began his 10-year NBA career by averaging 5.0 rebounds per game during his rookie season. Dieng followed that with his best rebounding season, averaging 8.3 in his second season. After reverting to a reserve role, he finished his time in Minnesota with between 4.1 and 5.6 boards per game.
Current NBA fans likely associate Sam Mitchell with his work on the NBA TV network, but Mitchell had a successful 17-year professional career. He spent the first four seasons overseas before landing in Minnesota. His first stint in Minnesota saw him average between 5.8 and a career-high 6.3 rebounds per game. He returned to Minnesota in 1995, where his highest average was 4.8 rebounds in 1997.
