Former NBA wing Will Barton is joining the Minnesota Timberwolves coaching staff in a player development role, according to Charlie Walton. Barton will bring 11 years of NBA experience to a team entering a new phase around Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball.
Barton worked as an assistant coach with the Iowa Wolves last season and also served on Minnesota’s Summer League staff, giving him recent experience within the organization’s player development structure. His transition from player to coach continues a post-playing career path that began shortly after his NBA career.
The move also reunites Barton with Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly. Connelly was the Denver Nuggets’ general manager when Denver acquired Barton from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2015, and Barton spent roughly eight seasons with the franchise during Connelly’s tenure.
Barton became a key contributor for Denver during its rise into a Western Conference contender. He appeared in 519 games for the Nuggets from 2014-15 through 2021-22, averaging 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists while becoming one of the team’s most reliable perimeter scorers.
His experience as a veteran wing could be particularly valuable for a Timberwolves roster built around young perimeter talent. Minnesota’s core features 25-year-old Anthony Edwards, who averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 61 games during the 2025-26 season while shooting 48.9% from the field and 39.9% from three-point range.
The Timberwolves are entering the 2026-27 season after making a major offensive adjustment. Minnesota acquired All-Star guard LaMelo Ball in a four-team trade with Charlotte, Brooklyn and Chicago, sending Naz Reid and draft assets out as the franchise shifted toward a more guard-oriented attack.
Barton’s background as a scoring wing could provide insight for players such as Edwards, Josh Green and rookie Isaiah Evans. Minnesota selected Evans 33rd overall in the 2026 NBA Draft and signed him to a four-year rookie-scale contract, viewing the Duke guard as a long-term shooting option.
The Timberwolves finished the 2025-26 regular season with a 49-33 record, earning the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the second round.
