As much as the race for the playoffs has been extremely tight this season, the same can be said for the race to the bottom. With consensus first overall pick Cade Cunningham as the bounty, teams down below have likewise been doing their best to improve their chances of winning the upcoming draft lottery. At this point, however, the Minnesota Timberwolves have unofficially dropped out of the race.

According to Wolves head coach Chris Finch, Minnesota has every intention of going all out in the remaining games of the season (h/t Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic):

We're honestly not sure what to make of this. For starters, the Timberwolves have no chance of making the playoffs this term. The only thing they could get out of winning — as what coach Finch is hoping for — is for the squad to continue to build chemistry for the upcoming season. This is certainly a good thing in terms of building for the future, but you could also say the same about securing the coveted first overall pick.

Cade Cunningham is an outstanding talent that could slot in well with Minnesota's current roster. Not only is the 6-foot-8 guard a gifted scorer, but he's an excellent defender as well. Cunningham appears to be a great fit around the likes of D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Karl-Anthony Towns.

For what it's worth, the Wolves currently have an 18-44 record. They do not hold a significant advantage over the league-worst Houston Rockets who are currently at 15-46.