The Timberwolves Bought a Reserve Wing with a Distant Pick
On October 31, 2005, Minnesota acquired Ronald Dupree from Detroit for a future second-round draft pick. The Timberwolves retained the right to specify a second-round selection between 2006 and 2009 under the inherited transaction description, and the eventual choice came in 2009 at No. 35. Detroit used that pick on Georgetown forward DaJuan Summers. This was a minor depth transaction rather than a trade involving a first-rounder or a regular-season NBA starting guard. Minnesota wanted another athletic forward for the bench alongside Kevin Garnett; Detroit preferred a flexible future selection after Dupree had played a limited role on a successful Pistons team. League transaction records independently confirm the 2005 date and later draft outcome.
Dupree Played Thirty-Six Games for Minnesota
Dupree appeared in 36 Timberwolves regular-season games during 2005-06 with no starts and a total of 265 minutes. He scored only modestly as a reserve, but his rebounding and wing size provided insurance on a roster struggling to build the right supporting cast around Garnett. He had played 47 Detroit games the previous season, yet those belonged to his earlier team and should not be counted as Minnesota value. The new club received a part-time defensive forward, not a franchise-changing perimeter scorer. Minnesota’s inherited C grade reflects those limited appearances and the relatively small draft-pick cost it initially expected. His time with the Timberwolves ended after one season, while Detroit held a pick that did not become selectable until four years after the transaction.
The Later Pick Gave Detroit a Real Second-Round Prospect
Detroit used No. 35 of the 2009 draft on DaJuan Summers, a versatile forward who went on to appear in NBA games for the Pistons and other teams. The value of this selection was more concrete than a conditional pick that never conveyed, but Summers was a second-round development bet rather than an established starter. Detroit’s inherited B- grade is higher than Minnesota’s C, while the canonical headline says Slight Wolves Edge. Those judgments conflict numerically and warrant a separate provenance and grading review, rather than hiding the discrepancy. The key asset chain remains straightforward: Dupree moved to Minnesota in 2005, and Detroit’s compensation turned into the No. 35 pick in 2009. Both clubs had measured returns without an enduring centerpiece.
Final Verdict
Slight Wolves Edge is the inherited winner, but grades of Detroit B- and Minnesota C point in the opposite direction. Minnesota obtained 36 games from Ronald Dupree in 2005-06, while Detroit received the eventual 2009 No. 35 draft pick used on DaJuan Summers. The disagreement between winner label and numeric grades requires a dedicated grade audit.