Head coach Sam Mitchell Owner(s) Glen Taylor Record 29–53 (.354) | General manager Milt Newton Arena Target Center | |
Place Division: 5th (Northwest)
Conference: 13th (Western) | ||
The 2015–16 Minnesota Timberwolves season was the 27th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before the season, the Timberwolves announced that head coach and team president Flip Saunders will not coach the team this season as he continued his battle with cancer. Sam Mitchell was named interim head coach. On October 25, 2015, Saunders died and the Wolves announced that Mitchell would be the interim coach for the entire season. Around the start of the season, the Timberwolves would be the first team in NBA history to hold four players that were around 20 or younger between Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Tyus Jones to start out a season. It would also mark the final season under Kevin Garnett's time in the NBA and his return with the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves missed the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season, equalling the second-longest postseason appearance drought in NBA history of the Golden State Warriors between 1994–95 and 2005–06, only behind the Los Angeles Clippers between 1976–77 and 1990–91. However, the Timberwolves would have their second straight Rookie of the Year winner with #1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns earning the award with very convincing results throughout the season.