Minnesota Turned Booker and N’Diaye Into Two Different Development Bets
On draft night in 2010, Minnesota sent the rights to Trevor Booker and Hamady N’Diaye to Washington for the rights to Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica. The exchange was not a simple one-player swap. Booker was the most NBA-ready piece, while Bjelica was a longer-term international rights play. Hayward gave Minnesota an immediate roster option and Bjelica gave the front office an asset it could leave overseas until the timing made sense.
Booker Gives Washington the Strongest Single-Player Case
Washington received the best immediate contributor in Trevor Booker. He spent four seasons with the Wizards, appearing in 235 games with 105 starts and averaging 6.4 points and 5.1 rebounds over that span. Hamady N’Diaye added only 19 games for Washington across two seasons, so nearly all of the Wizards’ realized value came from Booker. That is substantial enough that this trade cannot be described as a clear Minnesota win.
Bjelica’s Delayed Arrival Is What Keeps Minnesota Ahead in the Canonical Grade
Hayward played 42 games for Minnesota as a rookie and later returned for four more, producing limited rotation value. Bjelica was the more durable asset. Minnesota held his rights while he developed in Europe, then signed him in 2015 after he had become EuroLeague MVP. He played 192 regular-season games for the Timberwolves across three seasons, including 21 starts in 2017-18. The five-year wait therefore produced a real NBA rotation player rather than an abandoned draft-rights asset.
The Margin Is Small Because Both Teams Found Useful Value
The completed record is unusually balanced for a four-rights draft-night swap. Washington got four solid seasons from Booker, easily the strongest early return. Minnesota received some Hayward minutes and eventually three seasons from Bjelica after patiently carrying his rights. N’Diaye contributed little to Washington. That mix supports only a narrow distinction: Minnesota’s two realized assets and Bjelica’s delayed payoff justify the canonical B+ versus B split, while Booker’s larger immediate role keeps Washington close enough that stronger winner language would overstate the evidence.
Final Verdict
Slight Wolves Edge — Minnesota B+, Washington B. Trevor Booker gave Washington the strongest immediate return, playing 235 games and making 105 starts over four Wizards seasons, while Hamady N’Diaye added little. Minnesota got limited early value from Lazar Hayward but eventually brought Nemanja Bjelica over after he became EuroLeague MVP; Bjelica then played 192 games across three Timberwolves seasons. The two-sided production makes this a narrow result, not a blowout, with Minnesota’s second useful asset providing the small edge reflected in the canonical grades.