Aug. 7—Chris Finch did something Richard Pitino failed to do: Recruit McKinley Wright to Minnesota.
It was always Wright’s plan to play for the home state. That was the point guard’s intention upon graduating from Champlin Park High School in 2017.
But the Gophers dragged their feet in recruiting and eventually offering Wright, prioritizing New York point guard Isaiah Washington over the local product. Washington committed to Minnesota, leaving Wright without his preferred landing spot. He committed to Dayton a week later.
That all occurred in the fall of Wright’s senior year. The following spring — on the day Champlin Park was set to play in the state title game — Dayton coach Archie Miller bolted for Indiana. That left Wright — the 2017 Minnesota Mr. Basketball — back at Square 1 in his recruitment. Again, the Gophers weren’t really an option. He eventually committed to Colorado, who was desperate for a point guard at the time.
“(Playing for the Gophers) was my original plan,” Wright said.
And not just him.
“We had some pieces coming to Minnesota with me,” Wright said. “That was all of our plan. A lot of us from D-I Minnesota (AAU team), we planned to come here.”
Wright’s D-I Minnesota teammates at the time included the likes of Jericho Sims and Matthew Hurt, both of whom are also currently on NBA rosters. Had they all come to Minnesota, the program would’ve been set forth on a successful path.
“But it just didn’t work out like that,” Wright said. “They didn’t really start recruiting me until kind of late in my senior year, and it’s a lot of stuff I won’t get into. But it just didn’t work out.”
Former Gophers coach Richard Pitino was let go this year after an uninspiring eight-year run lowlighted by a lack of success with recruiting.
But while Wright’s dream of playing in front of the hometown crowd was delayed, it was not denied. After a wildly successful four-year run at Colorado, in which Wright twice was named a top-10 finalist for the Bob Cousy award, given to the nation’s top point guard, Wright was a legitimate NBA Draft prospect.
And, this time, he wasn’t undervalued by the hometown team. Finch saw Wright at the draft combine in Chicago and said the point guard “stuck out” to him, without even knowing Wright’s local ties at the time. Minnesota then brought Wright in for its league-wide workouts in Minneapolis, where the point guard met with the team’s staff.
The Wolves liked what they saw, and Wright liked what he heard. Minnesota became a preferred destination. Still, Wright was planning to be selected on draft night, and the Wolves didn’t have a pick. Finch later told Wright the Timberwolves tried to trade into the second round to nab the guard, but couldn’t make a deal.
Other teams contact Wright about selecting him late in the second round. That’s become commonplace in the NBA — teams reach out to players to gauge their interest in certain contract structures that could be implemented upon selection.
“I had opportunities to get drafted, to hear my name called by a couple teams,” Wright said. “I didn’t necessarily want to take those and do what they wanted me to do. So I told myself and my agent that we’re going to pass on it and go undrafted.”
When the draft concluded, the first call Wright took was from Finch, and he agreed to join the organization on a two-way contract.
“I’m thankful for him and the organization and the belief they have in me, and I’m here and I’m excited to get to work,” Wright said. “I saw this opportunity and it was right there. I wanted to take this one, be back home, be back in front of the home crowd. My parents are here, opportunity is here, so it was an easy decision for me.”
Minnesota is a good fit for Wright for a couple reasons. No. 1, it’s home. That fact still hasn’t really hit Wright yet, though it started to set in at the team’s Summer League Jam Session on Friday at Target Center, where the team practiced in front of thousands of fans. When Wright was thriving in Colorado, he’d get numerous social media messages from those lamenting that he wasn’t playing in Minnesota. Now, he is.
The second reason for the fit is Minnesota has a need at point guard. Currently, D’Angelo Russell is the only other point guard on the roster as the Timberwolves and Jordan McLaughlin continue to tango in restricted free agency.
“It’s a lot of opportunity here. That’s one of the reasons I said yes right away to Coach and made my mind up before the draft was over (to come here),” Wright said. “I’m excited. I’m just excited to get to work every day and compete. That’s what I love to do — compete at a high level, fight for minutes when they’re available and just continue to be that same person every day and bring that energy to practice and help make my teammates better.”
Having to earn what he gets is nothing new to Wright. He’s been doubted at every step, often from those who assume he’s too small to exceed. But success is all the 6-foot point guard is tough and physical.
“A lot of people see what I did at Colorado — the accolades, the wins, the leadership ability, and I’m here again,” Wright said. “It’s like I’m resetting. I’m excited for the opportunity, and I believe in myself. I’m going to bet on myself every day of the week, twice on Sundays.”
Wright is a pure point guard who’s always looking to pass and set others up for success. But he’ll continue to find ways to operate against faster, stronger, bigger guys, while continuing to look to set the tone for the organization that was his favorite growing up.
“I grew up here, grew up watching KG put on shows here every night,” Wright said. “It’s a blessing to be back home, and this organization is on the rise. We’ve got a lot of young, talented players and I’m looking forward to what’s to come.”
Not only is Wright bigger, faster and stronger than he was back in high school, but he also feels he’s improved his patience and poise, as well as his jumper, pick-and-roll game and defense. Four years later, he’s a better, more-rounded player.
“I’m glad (the Wolves) took a chance on me,” Wright said. “My job here now is to compete every day and not let them down. I don’t want them to feel like they made a mistake, so I’m happy to be here and I’m happy to compete every day at a high level and help this team win games.”