MINNEAPOLIS — Summer was coming into bloom, and Flip Saunders had an extra bounce in his step as he departed Minnesota’s arena with his wife that night of the 2015 draft.

The Timberwolves were finally on the verge of flourishing again after so many lost seasons. They took future All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns with the first overall pick and followed with a trade for hometown point guard Tyus Jones later in the first round.

“I remember walking down First Avenue and him saying, ‘We’re going to be good,’” said Debbie Saunders, his widow who continues to attend nearly every home game more than two years after his death of complications from cancer. “The future was looking so bright, and he really felt it that night. He was so happy.”

Saunders would surely be smiling about the tribute in his honor at Target Center on Thursday night before Minnesota’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I’m not saying this because he’s my husband. I think Flip deserves this. He would be so proud of that,” Debbie Saunders said. “That draft, he had been working so hard. He wasn’t just happy about the team, but he loved the players who were going to be on his team.”