While the Minnesota Timberwolves have many different faces on a new-look roster as the 2026-2027 season rapidly approaches, one piece with the potential to contribute in a much greater capacity than previously seen has already been on the roster for over two years.

Timberwolves guard Terrance Shannon Jr., referred to as “TJ” by his teammates and coaches alike, was drafted at the end of the first round in the 2024 NBA draft, taken 27th overall. This selection came on the heels of five collegiate seasons split between Texas Tech and Illinois, during which he averaged 15 points per game on 59% true shooting across 146 NCAA games. He saw a great uptick in production after transferring to Illinois for the final two seasons of his college eligibility, averaging 20.2 points per game on a 60% true shooting mark, per Sports Reference.

Seeing limited action through his first two seasons, the Chicago native was thrust into a higher leverage and volume role in the 2026 playoffs due to injuries across the roster, and had his true coming out party, starting three games and averaging 11.8 points per game while, more importantly, playing 22.6 minutes per game.

Going into this season, Shannon Jr. will have to compete to see an extended run on the floor due to the surplus of backcourt depth the Timberwolves have with the re-signing of guards Ayo Dosumnu and Bones Hyland.

With the ball dominance of other guards on the roster, Shannon Jr. noted that the on-ball, shot-creating role he played in the 2026 playoffs may not be the same one he steps into going into this season. “Just being aware of where I'm needed, whether it's on the ball, playing out the corner,” said Shannon Jr. during his media day availability. “You know, just getting there, just rebounding, cutting, defending, just doing what I need to do to help us win.”

Terrence Shannon Jr. drive & slam 💥

Rush to the basket.
Rock the rim. pic.twitter.com/s1Vf0XuXxA

— NBA (@NBA) October 6, 2026

The unselfish attitude that Shannon Jr. referred to is going to be a necessity if he is to have the breakout campaign that he is primed for, as the departure of veteran guard Mike Conley leaves a void that can be filled by the younger, more athletic and versatile third-year guard.

In addition to playing a particularly unselfish brand of basketball, Shannon Jr. can earn minutes by being a vital contributor to the pace of play — an aspect of the Timberwolves’ offensive attack that has been emphasized to an extreme extent by players and coaches, in addition to being reflected in the roster overhaul and personnel changes made in the offseason. When speaking about playing faster, especially observant Timberwolves forward Jaylen Clark noted that Shannon Jr. could be a catalyst for the teamwide shift in playstyle.

“I don't really know for real, but I just know this year with, like, Melo Ayo, TJ, Bones, those got to be some of the fastest guys in the league, right there, all pushing,” said the former UCLA star. “It's going to create a lot of lanes and open shots for everybody.”

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Shannon Jr., having to shift his seemingly natural playstyle, also plans to adjust his work habits.

“Less is more sometimes,” the University of Illinois alumnus said during media day. “I just gotta work smarter and not harder. I already work hard all the time, so just being smart with it, that's all.”

After a foot injury cut into some of his potential playing time, the left-hander noted that he has also engaged in more preventative measures to keep himself healthy for a full 82-game season — a season in which he intends on missing no games. “Had a big emphasis on a lot of injury prevention stuff this summer, and I plan to play all 82 games this year,” he said.

Generally speaking, Shannon Jr. has shown immense flashes of potential through the course of his brief career, especially in his aforementioned 2026 playoff run, where he scored a playoff career-high 24 points, finishing at a +7 in a 110-98 series-clinching win over the Denver Nuggets in their first-round matchup, with Anthony Edwards out due to injury. Expect his athleticism and energy off the bench to play a vital role to some degree throughout the 2026-2027 season.